Photo: Going to the source for a fragrant Alsatian cheese, brought to you by les vaches.
I love it that in Europe, food varies greatly by country, but the borders are porous. In France, hang out in Nice and you’ll find a French/Italian fusion. Spanish dishes creep over into the Southwest, and vice versa.
And so it is in the Alsace region that the German and Swiss influence are strongly felt. Or is it the other way around? Anyway, in the Alps of France or Switzerland you will find hearty mountain food, perfect for beefing up for a day of rigorous winter sports. And fine fare for our last gasp of winter, before we start dreaming of light salads and such.
In France it’s unseasonably warm at the moment, but there will no doubt be one last blast of chilly weather before the real spring arrives. Which has us thinking of the classic Alsatian dish which reader and friend Dee mentioned in the comments recently: Tartiflette.
If you want to please a man, by the way (or warm him up), serve him this rich combo of potatoes, cheese, and bacon, all hot and gooey. Is that guy food or what? It’s not a pretty dish (see photo), but it’s a tasty one. Easy, too. It’s basically a gratin, but it’s made with a particular cheese (there are rules about such things in France), called Reblochon. Which you may have trouble tracking down if you’re not in France, but we shall deal with that later.
It is acceptable in the Alsace to make Tartiflette with smoked salmon instead of bacon, a variation which I prefer. The salmon has a strong, salty flavor as bacon does, so it gives the same sort of kick to this dish. It also makes it a tad healthier, though this dinner still might not be at the top of your lowfat/heart-smart list. But hey, we’re in France, where we don’t worry about such things.
French traditionalists, stop reading HERE. I confess that even after 11 years in France I have not developed a taste for strong smelly cheeses, of which Reblochon is one. Instead, in my recipe I used an Italian blend and I will try a mixture of Gruyère and Cheddar next time. Your casserole will still be delicious, and will have the advantage of not smelling like baked cowpies.
RECIPE: Tartiflette, Southern Style
If you want to try the traditional version by a chef with some French credentials, you are in the wrong neighborhood, and you should proceed immediately to Anthony Bourdain’s excellent version. For my loose interpretation, see below.
I confess I didn’t even measure ingredients for this recipe. For four servings I used about a dozen small red potatoes, 2 large diced sweet onions, about a cup and a half of grated cheese (Reblochon, or your favorite mix of cheeses that melt well), and less than half a cup of sour cream. I used a package of smoked salmon with 4 small slices, diced; you really don’t need a lot.
To make it, cook some yukon gold, red, or waxy potatoes (another French heresy: I don’t peel them) in simmering water to cover, then drain and slice them when they’re done. Meanwhile, sauté a mess of onions in olive oil on lowish heat, for 15 minutes or so. When done, throw in a half cup of white wine and reduce it a bit. Purists will use a dry white wine from the Alsace region.
In a big bowl, toss the hot potatoes, with a bit of butter if you like, and mix in salt and pepper, the onion mixture, the sour cream, and the salmon. If it seems dry, add a bit more wine. Peel a garlic clove, smash it with the flat blade of your knife, then rub the inside of your baking dish with it. Put half the potato mixture in the dish, top with half the cheese. Add remaining potatoes and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve with a green salad and the rest of that delicious wine.
In the COMMENTS: Julie, I think you must do as Barbara suggests, and fit in both Venice and the Cinque Terra! Jacki knows a good mask shop in Paris. Thanks, as always, for the many lovely comments.
Favorite Reads: Two readers recommended books about Venice this week that I can't wait to read. Dottie liked A Venetian Affair: A True Tale of Forbidden Love in the 18th Century
14 thoughts on “Comfort Food for the Tail End of a French Winter”
I love love love Anthony Bourdain…..have for years…and BTW his books are great reads if you don’t mind the expletives…. 🙂 and/or very frank opinions. His TV show here in the States was one of my “go-to” weekly shows to watch.
Lovely post Lynn; reminds me of winters we have shared this, cooked in the Aga.
After a days skiing it makes an excellent supper dish. Recently I haven’t been able to ski, but the local reblochon is so good I have been making a lighter version with mixed vegetables such as broccoli , red peppers, onions and leeks, and it works.
Yum! And, thanks for the tip about the smelly cheese. Will avoid that when I make the recipe.
I will have to try the bacon variety. I love your comment about stinky French cheese, Lynn. Guess I’ll never be an authentic French person either for that same reason. I was just reading articles in the NYT and Southern Living about the popularity of casseroles so your article is timely.
This recipe sounds so good I’m going to share on Facebook. I’d use bacon though, as I’m not fond of smoked salmon. The cheese I’d use would probably be Trader Joe’s Melange of Cheddar and Gruyere, which is really good in casseroles, or sauces.
Lynn, this looks delicious but I might as well rub that on my hips because it will definitely go there anyway! It is very tempting to make. I do like your recipe better than Anthony Bourdain’s. I must agree about the smelly cheeses. My scent is similar to a blood hound so it can be good thing & sometimes to my detriment.
Lynn, what a great picture of the cow’s backsides to back up your title of the tail end of winter. We are experiencing a winter’s tail end here with a rainstorm pounding our azalea blooms. We will be in France in a few weeks and hope the weather will treat us fairly while we are there for six weeks or so. I plan to ask Chef Jim to cook this bacon, potato and cheese casserole. Sounds delicious!!
I am about to make dinner and your wonderful blog post today and recipe has made me yearning for this yummy dish! Thanks so much.
Definitely plan to try it soon…half with cheese for hubby and half without for me! Thinking of you from Marseillan,a somewhat cool and windy, however mostly sunny port.
Bon weekend!
So how do YOU stay slim? Do you eat small portions and exercise like crazy? I’m 56 and live in the mountains of western NC and have been bouncing around gluten-free/ paleo…to ‘real food’ to zone block ways of eating.
I like being slim…and just avoid a lot of foods. But this recipe today looks so yummy.
So how do you deal with good food? And what do you do about BREAD? since you live in Bread Heaven.
Maria
It sounds DELISH! Any suggestions for us vegetarians to substitute for fish/meat? Thanks!
Oh, WOW(!!!!!!),Lynn, this is absolutely heaven!!!!!!!
What could be better than potatoes,onions,bacon,and the rest of those wonderful ingredients??????
Forget the weather! We’re in the midst of a severe drought and hot weather here in the West,and I’m going to make it anyway! ASAP! YUM!
Drooling and hearing harp music as I float away!
THANK YOU!
Merci, Lynn, for the recipe. Think I’ll use Yukon gold potatoes, a favorite here in the SF Bay Area of CA. And Suzanne’s idea of Trader Joe’s Melange of cheeses sounds yummy. This recipe reminds me of my Louisiana-French roots.
Lynn, tartiflette is one of my favorites! To me, it is French comfort food. Not a dish I would have often, though, due to the richness. In Orléans, I have had those ingredients on a pizza and it was fabulous! I also enjoyed a gallette with the same ingredients when I was in Brittany. I will be visiting France again in less than two weeks. This time, we will be in Orléans for a few days and then will travel to Annecy and on into Switzerland before ending in Paris. I can hardly wait!
I love, love, love your recipes and blog. Thank you! You are wonderful and so are the recipes/blog! Because I’m reading her book right now, I’m forwarding this to Ann Mah. She also has recipes and visit to different parts of France in search of them as in Alsace. I’ve never been to France, I like to cook, reading about France and can appreciate everything you have to share. Thank you!