Traditional Tartiflette A La Joel Robuchon Food

TARTIFLETTE

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and boil in salted water until just tender. Drain them and when they're cool enough, slice.
• Heat half the butter and oil together in a frying or saute pan and fry the potatoes until golden. Season with salt and pepper and put them into a shallow ovenproof dish.
• Heat the rest of the butter and oil in the same saute pan and cook the lardons over a fairly high heat to colour them well. Turn the heat down, add the onion and cook it until soft and just beginning to colour. Throw in the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. Whilst cooking add white wine, normally about 1/2 a glass is sufficient.
• Cut the reblochon into slices and trim the rind. Dot spoonfuls of creme fraiche all over the potatoes and cover with the slices of reblochon. Bake in an oven, pre-heated to 190 C, for 15 minutes. The cheese should be melted and bubbling. Serve immediately.

TRADITIONAL TARTIFLETTE A LA JOEL ROBUCHON

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover them with 1 quart (1 l.) water and 1 level tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-40 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. When they are finished, the tip of a knife will slide cleanly in and out of them. Drain.
• While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in another saucepan. When it foams, add the onion and cook over low heat for 3 minutes; the onion should not brown. Add the wine and simmer for 20 minutes.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and chop them into large chunks.
• Preheat the oven to 480 degrees fahrenheit/240 degrees celsius.
• In a large bowl, gently mix the potato chunks with the lardons and reduced wine. Pour the combination into a baking dish. Whip the chilled heavy cream.
• Remove the crust from the Reblochon and chop it into pieces. Put them in a baking dish and bake for 18 minutes; they should get warm but not too hot. Put the warmed cheese in a blender or food processor and blend briskly as you add the broth (or 3 tablespoons water if you have no broth). Add the whipped cream to the blended cheese. Taste for salt and pepper. Spread this creamy cheese over the top of the potatoes.
• Sprinkle the dish on the diagonal with the grated Beaufort cheese. Bake for 8-12 minutes. You want the tartiflette to get a little color. Serve very hot.