Gratin Of Potatoes Onions Bacon And Cheese Food

MOLTEN FRENCH CAMEMBERT POTATO GRATIN WITH BACON AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 210C,425°F.
• Grease an ovenproof dish, I use a French Poele, a small pan like earthenware dish with a handle, but any oven proof dish which is fairly deep will be okay!
• Peel and boil the potatoes whole; cook for about 20-25 mins or until JUST tender but still holding their shape well.Plunge them into cold water to stop them cooking and set them to one side.
• Meanwhile, heat up a frying pan and cook the lardons or bacon cubes together with the diced onions. Cook them over a medium heat, pouring away any excess fat. Fry them until the bacon is crispy but not too brown and the onions are tender.
• Mix together the creme fraiche and glass of wine. Season the mixture very well with black pepper and just a touch of salt, as the bacon will be salty.
• Take your Camembert cheese and very carefully slice it into two pieces horizontally.
• Drain the cooled potatoes and cut them into 1/4" thick slices. Layer half of them in to the greased oven proof dish and then cover with half of the onion and bacon mixture.
• Pour over half of the wine and creme fraiche mixture. Place one half of the whole Camembert on top. Repeat the layer in the same order: potatoes, bacon and onion mixture, wine and creme fraiche mixture and end the layers by placing the last half a Camembert cheese on top.
• Season with black pepper again and just a pinch of salt if you wish.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes or until the gratin is brown and bubbling.
• Set to one side for about 3-5 minutes, it firms up a bit and is easier to serve then!
• Serve with a big bowl of crisp green salad, assorted Charcuterie such as cold meats, salami, terrine and sausage AND not forgetting crusty bread to mop all those juices up with!
• Great with a well chilled and dry white wine such as Chablis or Chardonnay.

TARTIFLETTE (FRENCH POTATO, BACON, AND CHEESE CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• Boil unpeeled potatoes with salt in water over high heat; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife but are not too soft, 15 to 25 minutes depending on size. Remove potatoes from water to cool.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cook bacon in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat until cooked but not quite crisp and most of the fat is rendered out, 5 to 7 minutes. Push bacon to one side of the pan and blot up some of the fat with a wadded paper towel. Add onion slices. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and cayenne. Cook and stir over medium heat until onions are soft, sweet, and golden, about 6 minutes. Add white wine; cook for 2 minutes and deglaze pan. Remove from heat.
• Cut wheel of cheese into 2 semi-circles. Place each half cut side down and split in half to form 2 more semi-circles, each with a rind side and creamy cheese side.
• When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. Slice into fairly thick slices, about 1/3 inch thick.
• Place a little over half the potato slices onto bottom of a 2-quart shallow baking dish. A little overlapping is fine. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Pour in bacon/onion/wine mixture and spread over potatoes in an even layer. Arrange the remaining potato slices over the top, overlapping as needed. Spread creme fraiche over the potatoes. Place down cheese pieces, rind side up. Transfer pan to a baking sheet. Bake in center rack of preheated oven until browned and potatoes are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

TARTIFLETTE - ALPINE MELTED CHEESE, BACON AND POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 5.
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes whole, in their skins, for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the onion and bacon in the butter in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat; they should sweat but not brown. When they are cooked, discard the fat and add the glass of wine and the creme fraiche and mix well.
• Drain the potatoes and as soon as they are cool enough to handle peel them - the quicker the better. Slice thinly across.
• Choose an ovenproof earthenware dish and rub it well with the cut halves of garlic. Layer half the sliced potatoes across the base, season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then scatter over half the onion and bacon mixture.
• Cut the Reblochon cheese in half through the centre of the cheese, leaving you with a cut edge and a skin/rind edge, then lay one half of the cheese on top of the potato, bacon and onion mixture. Add the remaining bacon and onion mixture followed by the rest of the potatoes and more seasoning.
• Place the remaining half of cut Reblochon cheese skin/rind side up on top of the potatoes. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C/350'F/gas mark 4 for a further 20-25 minutes. The Reblochon should melt within its skin and the cheese drip down throughout the dish, while the potatoes will become crispy and golden brown.
• Tartiflette is a filling dish and all you really need to go with it is a mixed green salad, crusty French bread and a selection of pickles.

SAGE AND POTATO GRATIN WITH BACON AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil, adding salt to the water.
• Cook for 12 minutes, or until you can just pierce the potatoes with a skewer.
• (they should be not quite cooked).
• Drain well and slice as thinly as possible.
• Melt half the butter in a frying pan, add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200*C 425*F.
• Put the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boiling point, then simmer for 3 minutes.
• Arrange one third of the bacon in a large baking dish, greased with butter.
• Put 4 sage leaves on top.
• Add a layer of half the potato slices, then another of half the onion.
• Pour inhalf the cream.
• Put half the remaining bacon on top and 4 more sage leaves.
• use the remaining potatoes and onion in the same way, pour in the remaining cream, then put the remaining bacon and sage on top.
• Dot the sage with the rest of the butter.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake for a further 30 minutes.
• Using a skewer, test to see if the potatoes are soft all through.
• If necessary, return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 5 to 10 minutes, making sure that the bacon and sage don't burn.