Tartiflette: A Taste of the French Alps (No Cream Required!)

 

There are few dishes I love more on a chilly evening than a good tartiflette. This wonderfully rustic dish from the French Alps is comfort food at its finest: tender potatoes, smoky bacon (or gammon), sweet onions and gloriously melted cheese, all bubbling away in the oven.

Recently, we enjoyed tartiflette during a Forest Holidays getaway with friends. It was the perfect meal after a day outdoors, and it sparked a rather lively debate between my other half and me!

I was convinced that a proper tartiflette needed cream. My partner insisted it didn't. Naturally, we had to investigate.

It turns out my partner was right (although I won't be admitting that too often!). The traditional Savoyard recipe doesn't call for cream at all. The secret is simply good cheese, which melts beautifully into the potatoes, creating all the richness you could possibly want.

We were particularly lucky on this occasion because our friend had brought some homemade gammon, which we used instead of the usual lardons. It was absolutely delicious and a lovely reminder that with a dish this simple, the quality of your ingredients really matters.

Traditionally, tartiflette is made with Reblochon de Savoie, but as this wonderful cheese is still unavailable in the UK, I recommend Fleur des Alpes, a remarkably similar cheese that delivers that same beautifully creamy, melting texture.

Here's how to make it.

Tartiflette Recipe

Serves 4 | Preparation: 25 minutes | Cooking: 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 whole Fleur des Alpes (approximately 450–500g)

  • 1kg waxy potatoes, such as Charlotte

  • 200g good-quality smoked lardons or diced gammon

  • 2 large onions, thinly sliced

  • 100ml dry white wine, ideally from Savoie

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • A pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

  2. Peel the potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces. Parboil in lightly salted water for 8–10 minutes, until just tender, then drain.

  3. In a large frying pan, cook the lardons until lightly golden. Add the onions and cook gently until softened and sweet.

  4. Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, allowing them to take on some colour. Pour in the white wine and simmer until mostly evaporated. Season with pepper and a little nutmeg, if using.

  5. Cut Fleur des Alpes horizontally through the middle, keeping the rind on. Dice one half and gently mix it through the potatoes, bacon and onions.

  6. Transfer everything to an ovenproof dish. Place the remaining cheese on top, rind facing upwards.

  7. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the cheese is gloriously melted, bubbling and golden.

Serve immediately with a crisp green salad and a glass of dry white wine.

Simple ingredients, good company and plenty of melted cheese. Sometimes, that's all you need for a truly memorable meal.

Bon appétit!

 

The Cheese Lady xx

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