Tartiflette is a rich, savory French gratin made with potatoes, bacon (or ham), onions, and cream. It's creamy, crunchy, and a perfect cold-weather dish. A rich and decadent casserole of sliced potatoes cooked in salty lardons (bacon) and plenty of cheese, Tartiflette comes from the Savoy region in the French Alps.
The dish was created in the 1980s by Reblochon cheese producers to increase cheese sales. The name comes from the word "tartifle," which means "potato" in the local dialect.
Meaning of Tartiflette
Tartiflette is a dish of potatoes, cheese, onions, and bacon. It is trendy in Savoy, where it is considered the local specialty. The dish originates from the French region of Savoy, the name being a portmanteau of the words "tartifl" (from Arpitan "tartiflu"), meaning "potato," and "reblochon," the name of local cheese.
The traditional way to cook tartiflette is in a Reblochon cheese pan. The potatoes are sliced and fried with lardons, then cooked in cream and white wine. After that, the Reblochon is laid on top of the mixture for about ten minutes to melt.
Who invented tartiflette?
There are many stories about the invention of tartiflette.
In the 17th Century, the people of Savoy were on the brink of starvation. They came up with a dish made with potatoes and onions, which they put under their hat to keep warm while working in the cold. Tartiflette comes from the French word 'tirer la léttre,' which means 'to draw the letter.' So it is said that when you see someone wearing a Tartiflette hat, you can ask them if they have had their letter yet.
The other story is that in 1785, a farmer named Jacques Tartiflette was traveling through Savoy when he stopped at an inn. The innkeeper refused him food because his pockets were empty. To thank him for his hospitality, he gave him some potatoes and onions, and this was the first tartiflette ever made.
If you've never heard of tartiflette, it's a French dish made with potatoes, cheese, and bacon. The rich ingredients are assembled in layers and baked to create crispy-edged potato casserole. It's savory, it's comforting, and it's something you'll want in your regular winter dinner rotation.
Tartiflette is a great way to stretch out a pound or two of bacon because it calls for the meat to be cut into small pieces spread throughout the dish. You can use pretty much any variety of bacon you like, from thick-cut maple to turkey bacon if you'd like to keep things on the lighter side for calorie counters.
Thanks to the cheese and cream base, the tartiflette has a creamy filling, but the top gets nice and crunchy from being broiled under the oven broiler (or grill). This adds a lovely contrast of textures that keeps the dish interesting.
You can substitute red onion or shallots for the white onion if you prefer a milder flavor. This recipe also calls for Reblochon cheese, which is not widely available outside France.
Can I freeze tartiflette?
Tartiflette can be frozen for up to 1 month but the taste changes.
- Allow the tartiflette to cool entirely after preparing, wrap the whole dish in cling film, and place in the freezer.
- You can also freeze individual tartiflette slices, allow them to cool first, wrap each piece in cling film or aluminum foil, and place them into a large freezer bag.
- Remove the cling film and cover with tin foil before baking until piping hot to reheat from frozen.
How do you reheat tartiflette?
It's not recommended to freeze this dish, and leftovers should be kept refrigerated for no more than two days.
- To reheat tartiflette in the oven, it's best to preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes and then place the tartiflette inside an oven-safe dish. Cover with aluminum foil and heat for about 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted again.
- If you have a microwave, you can use that instead. Place the tartiflette in a microwave-safe container and cover it with cling film. Heat on high power for 1-minute intervals until heated through - usually takes around 10 minutes, depending on your microwave.
Vegetarian options for Tartiflette
Tartiflette, a hearty potato dish from the Savoie region of France, is traditionally served with a green salad and charcuterie. The original version of the recipe calls for lardons, which are small cubes of fatty bacon. However, if you want to make the dish vegetarian or vegan, it's easy to swap another ingredient.
You can use any ingredients that provide umami, salty or savory notes. Some good options include:
- Vegetarian sausage, such as Field Roast brand
- Cooked mushrooms are tossed in oil and salt, such as Portobello or shiitake
- Red onion sautéed in oil and salt until deep golden brown
What to serve with tartiflette
Tartiflette is a rich and creamy cheese casserole from the Alps, and it is made with potatoes, bacon, onions, and generous Reblochon cheese. There are many different ways to make it, but the most popular recipe comes from Savoie in France.
This short article will talk about what to serve with tartiflette or other potato dishes.
Tartiflette is excellent for a winter meal when served with steamed green vegetables and a leafy green salad. This will balance the dish's richness with fresh flavors and help cut through the fat from the cheese, meat, and potatoes. A glass of white wine like Chardonnay or Sancerre will enhance its flavor.
- You can also add some chopped herbs such as parsley or thyme on top before baking it if you prefer not too much saltiness in your dish (like me).
- It's also perfect when served cold as an appetizer or lunch box item, along with a side salad dressed in olive oil and vinegar dressing (balsamic vinegar works too).
- If you want to pair this dish with meat, then chicken breast would be perfect because they are light enough not to overwhelm the flavor of tartiflette.
Tartiflette is a rich and comforting dish, so it makes sense to serve it with something that can balance out the richness. If you want something green, I recommend serving it with a simple salad (such as this one) with a mustardy dressing. It's also common to serve tartiflette with charcuterie or other cold cuts.
Another option is to serve it with potatoes, either boiled or roasted. The potatoes in tartiflette are already cooked, so they don't need any further cooking, but the cheese sauce takes some time to bake in the oven, so you'll have time to cook your potatoes while the tartiflette is baking.
One final option is to serve it with bread or crostini, and you can find recipes for both on my blog.
Best potatoes for Tartiflette
If you were to ask a local what potatoes to use for tartiflette, they would probably say 'pommes de Terre,' which are like a large version of the kind of potatoes you would use for roasting in this country. They have pretty waxy flesh, but not as waxy as jersey royals. (Incidentally, you can use these for baking or roasting too.)
Look for a proper tartiflette potato with a floury texture – like King Edwards or Maris Pipers. Once cooked, these will hold their shape and happily absorb all the lovely creaminess from the cheese and cream.
What goes with Tartiflette?
When it comes to side dishes for tartiflette, you can choose any of your favorite sides that you would typically serve with potatoes. In the classic tartiflette recipe, the potatoes are cooked separately and then layered in the casserole dish with reblochon cheese and bacon.
You will want to serve a simple green salad or steamed vegetables alongside your tartiflette. Throw in some crusty bread or rolls and hold off on dessert because tartiflette makes a filling meal. You may also wish to have wine with your tartiflette, which calls for a robust red wine like Beaujolais or other French red wine.
Classic potato side dishes like mashed potatoes and roasted potatoes go well with tartiflette and French fries, oven fries, or hash browns. A fresh green salad is always an excellent choice, including some buttered peas and carrots or steamed broccoli.
Cheese substitute in Tartiflette
There are many suitable substitutes for Tartiflette cheese. Still, since there is no substitute for hard-to-find authentic cheeses, I recommend you try substituting with a more available cheese that will give you the same taste and characteristics.
Tartiflette is a French potato dish from the Haute-Savoie region of France. The container is made from potatoes, Reblochon cheese, lardons (bacon or pork fat), and onions. Tartiflette is derived from tartifle, which means "potato" in patois.
- The best substitute for Tartiflette cheese is other semi-soft cheeses such as Raclette or Fontina. These substitutes have a creamy texture and soft rind with a slightly spicy aroma. They are very similar in appearance and taste, but they are much easier to find in most parts of the world.
Raclette Cheese:
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese made in Switzerland has a strong flavor and melts well. It can be eaten independently, but it is often melted over potatoes or used fondue or raclettes. Raclette comes from the verb "racler," which means to scrape and refers to traditionally this cheese.
To make this dish, you'll need some good-quality ingredients. You can't substitute another cheese for Reblochon; it has a unique aroma and texture that makes it indispensable for this recipe. Other components include potatoes, bacon or lardons (small pieces of pork fat), onions, and white wine.
Wine pairings with Tartiflette
Tartiflette, a regional specialty of the Savoie region of the French Alps, is one of the most famous and popular dishes in France. It consists of big potato slices with cheese, cream, bacon, and onion, and the dish is traditionally served with Reblochon cheese.
The best wine for tartiflette depends on whether you want to drink red or white wine. We recommend a full-bodied red wine to drink with this dish, such as a northern Rhone Syrah (Hermitage, Cote-Rotie) from France or a Merlot-based Bordeaux wine. Our choice for white wine would be a good quality Savoie Apremont white wine that comes from the same region as tartiflette.
Serving options for Tartiflette
Tartiflette is a delicious casserole hailing from the French Alps, so it's no surprise that it's a firm favorite for après-ski. A dish of sliced potatoes and onions topped with lardons, cream, and melted Reblochon cheese; it's a warming and satisfying meal after a day of hitting the slopes.
Reblochon cheese has a robust taste by itself, so I feel that the best way to eat it is to pair it with something that can take down its taste. One good way to do this would be to use Reblochon cheese in a sandwich or on toast. The bread can help soak up the milk fat, and the mild sweetness of bread can help remove the bitter taste of milk in Reblochon.
Although tartiflette is not low in calories, it's the perfect dish to enjoy with friends or family after returning from the slopes.
- The usual accompaniments to serving tartiflette are a crisp green salad and some crusty bread to mop up the sauce. It would be sacrilege to serve this dish with anything other than a hearty red wine such as Beaujolais, as its fresh fruitiness helps to cut through the richness of the cheese and cream.
The popularity of tartiflette in the UK
It would be easy to dismiss tartiflette as another way of eating potatoes as a popular dish in the UK. But the root of its appeal is the same as the truffles, lobster, and steak that are also currently clogging up our Instagram feeds.
When you eat something not readily available at home, you are reminded of your trip and transported back there. In this way, a great restaurant meal can be like an edible souvenir. When we return to our day-to-day lives, we want to take with us something from our travels – and it's far easier to bring back a gastronomic memory than it is souvenirs or photos.
As we can say that the popularity of food from other cultures is often down to what people have experienced when they have traveled abroad and what they have seen abroad while traveling.
