Mushroom & Savoy Tartiflette.
A classic Savoyard tartiflette with a small twist to add nutritional value and a little extra depth. Served with a sharp French-style salad with cornichons and walnuts, this is proper cold-weather food that transports you straight to the Alps.
Serves 4–6
Tips & Tricks:
Potatoes: Waxy ones work best here - something like a new, baby or jersey royal. Leave the skin on for extra fibre and to cut prep time. You won’t notice in the final dish.
Cheese: Reblochon is traditional, but other strong, soft cheeses work well, such as Taleggio, Brie de Meaux or Camembert. Choose something with a goos strong flavour. If using a milder cheese, add a small handful of grated Gruyère or Comté to deepen the savoury note.
Make ahead: You can boil the potatoes and cook the lardon mixture in advance, assemble, then refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Serving: It’s substantial enough to stand alone, but I love to serve it with a punchy salad like the cornichon and walnut one below. The acidity and crunch lift the richness and make the whole plate feel more balanced.
Ingredients.
1kg small, waxy potatoes
200g smoked lardons
2 large onions
2 garlic cloves
150-200g chestnut mushrooms
½ Savoy cabbage
250ml dry white wine
500g Reblochon cheese, or see notes above for alternatives
4 heaped tbsp crème fraîche
15g butter
Salt & Black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
1 large cos lettuce, or 2 little gem lettuces
2 tbsp light oil, e.g. veg or sunflower (not EVOO - the flavour will be too strong)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt & Papper, to taste
2 tbsp cornichons
30g walnuts
Equipment.
large baking dish
sauté/deep frying pan
sharp knife & chopping board
Method.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C conventional / 425°F. Butter a large gratin dish (approx. 30cm / 12in).
Place the potatoes in a large pan, cover with cold, generously salted water and bring to the boil. Cook until just tender, then drain thoroughly and leave to steam dry.
Meanwhile, add the lardons to a dry sauté pan over medium heat and cook while you prepare the vegetables.
Slice the onions, finely chop the garlic and thinly slice the mushrooms. Remove the firm core from the Savoy cabbage and shred finely.
Add the onions to the lardons and cook until soft and translucent.
Increase the heat slightly, add the butter and mushrooms, and cook until they release their moisture and begin to colour. Lower the heat and stir in the garlic for the final minute or two.
Pour in half the wine and allow it to bubble for a few minutes to reduce slightly. Stir through the crème fraîche, season to taste, then remove from the heat.
Slice the cooked potatoes thickly. Begin layering the potatoes, shredded cabbage and sauce mixture in the prepared dish, continuing until everything is used up.
Slice the Reblochon thickly and arrange it evenly over the top.
Bake for 20–30 minutes until golden, bubbling and lightly caramelised at the edges. Rest for 5 minutes before serving, as it will be very hot.
For the salad, roughly chop the walnuts and cornichons and add them to the lettuce in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil, red wine vinegar and Dijon, season to taste, and toss with the lettuce just before serving.
