Tartiflette Di Stasio Food

MARY CADOGAN'S TARTIFLETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7/fan oven 200C. Peel and thickly slice the potatoes, then boil in salted water for 8-10 minutes, until just tender. Drain.
• Chop onion finely and fry in 25g/1oz butter and a drizzle of olive oil for 5 minutes. Snip bacon into pieces with scissors and add to the pan; stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the onion and bacon are lightly coloured.
• Chop cheese into chunks, rind and all. Layer half the potatoes in a 1.5 litre/2¾ pint buttered ovenproof dish and scatter over half the onion, bacon and cheese. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Repeat layers, then pour cream evenly over the top and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Rest for 5 minutes and then serve with a salad.

TARTIFLETTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Add bacon to a cold (10- to 12-inch) skillet and place the pan over medium heat. Let bacon cook until some of the fat renders and the edges turn golden, about 7 to 10 minutes. (You're not looking to crisp the bacon.)
• Add onions to the pan and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in garlic, thyme and nutmeg, and cook for another minute until fragrant.
• Add potatoes, wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and toss until well combined. Cover the pan and cook, stirring every once in a while so nothing sticks, until potatoes are just tender and the liquid has mostly evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes. If the pan dries out while the potatoes are cooking, add a splash or two of water.
• Leaving the rind on, cut the cheese into slices or wedges. Stir crème fraîche into the potatoes, then nestle the cheese in evenly. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese melts and the potatoes are very tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

CREAMY TARTIFLETTE

Steps:

• Peel and thickly slice the potatoes into about 1.5cm slices. Boil them in salted water for 6-8 minutes until just tender, then drain.
• While the potatoes are boiling, heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the onion over a medium heat for 5 minutes until it becomes transparent. Add the bacon to the pan and carry on frying for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns lightly golden. With a slotted spoon, remove the onions and bacon from the pan to a bowl, leaving as much fat in the pan as possible.
• Heat the grill to high. Add the potatoes to the pan and brown briefly in the fat. If your potatoes are on the floury side they may break up or stick a bit, but this isn't a problem, just keep everything moving and avoid too many burnt bits. Return the onions and bacon to the pan and lightly mix everything together.
• Nestle the chunks of cheese among the potatoes and bacon then drizzle with the cream. Sprinkle with the chilli, if using, then evenly scatter over the breadcrumbs. Protect the pan handle with foil if necessary and grill for 5 minutes, until lightly browned and just on the point of bubbling.
• Transfer to plates with a wide spatula - no hurry, the dish will not spoil - and savour with a glass of wine.