Tartiflette (French Potato Bacon Reblochon Gratin)

Quick answer

Total time: 55 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Tartiflette layers parboiled potato slices with sautéed smoked bacon and onion, pours heavy cream over the top, and finishes with halved reblochon cheese placed cut-side down before baking at 190 degrees Celsius until golden and bubbling.

Parboiling the potatoes only halfway is deliberate - fully cooked potatoes fall apart in the oven, while half-cooked ones absorb cream and finish with a firm yet tender bite. The smoky bacon and caramelized onion create a savory foundation, and the cream seeps between the potato layers to bind everything together. Placing the cheese cut-side down is the traditional technique - as it melts, the creamy interior flows over the potatoes while the rind holds its shape on top. If reblochon is hard to find, brie makes a reasonable substitute with a similar creamy melt and mild, mushroomy flavor.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

potatoes700 gg

smoked bacon200 gg

onion1 eaea

heavy cream150 mlml

reblochon or brie cheese250 gg

butter1 tbsptbsp

black pepper½ tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Control

Scrub 700 g potatoes and simmer them in their skins over medium heat until only halfway cooked.

Drain when a skewer just starts to enter, then let them cool briefly so they slice cleanly.
2

Finish

Slice the cooled potatoes thickly, leaving enough structure for them to finish cooking in the oven.

Avoid thin slices, because they absorb cream too quickly and can collapse while baking.
3

Control

Heat a pan over medium heat, then cook 1 tablespoon butter with 200 g smoked bacon.

Stir until the bacon releases fat and the edges turn lightly golden, without letting the butter burn.
4

Control

Add 1 sliced onion to the bacon pan and cook until it turns translucent and smells sweet.

Keep the heat at medium, because high heat can scorch the onion and make the gratin taste bitter.
5

Prep

Layer the potatoes with the bacon and onion mixture in a baking dish.

Pour over 150 ml heavy cream, sprinkle with 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, and let the cream run into the gaps.
6

Heat

Halve 250 g reblochon or brie and place it cut-side down on top.

Bake at 190C for about 25 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the cream bubbles around the edges.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Half-cooked potatoes bake under smoked bacon, cream, and reblochon placed cut-side down so the interior flows.
Finish cue: Bake at 190C for about 25 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the cream bubbles around the edges.
Avoid this: Avoid thin slices, because they absorb cream too quickly and can collapse while baking.
Substitution: If reblochon is hard to find, brie makes a reasonable substitute with a similar creamy melt and mild, mushroomy flavor.