Tartiflette Toastie

I have another recipe to share with you this morning from Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall, of the River Cottage Fame.  I love his recipes almost as much as I love Nigel Slater's.  With him, the food is also the star and that is the kind of food and cookery I like to practice and eat!

Unpretentious and unassuming, simple and wholesome, and so, so delicious.  When I saw this recipe I thought to myself what a delicious take on the French favourite Tartiflette, which is a traditional dish from the savoy region of the French Alps.

 

 Its a dish I quite like, with potatoes, bacon, cheese . . . cream.  Rich and comforting.  When I saw Hugh's recipe for a Tartiflette Toastie, I knew it was something I wanted to try.  Why not combine one of my favourite potato dishes with the concept of a toastie!

Oh, I so love a good toastie . . .  toasted bread topped with your favourite indulgences and cheese and then toasted under the grill until everything melds deliciously together.  Yum!!

I used reblochon cheese on mine, because that is what I had and it has great melting properties.  It is the cheese we usually use when we do raclette, which comes from the same region of France if I am not mistaken, and please forgive me if I am.

You don't have to use that kind of cheese.  Hugh says you can even use cheddar which I am thinking would be pretty scrumdiddlyumptious as well!  Just so long as it is a cheese with lots of flavour and with great melting properties!

This is a toastie you will find yourself cooking extra potatoes for, I guarantee.  What a novel use of a few bits of leftovers and odds and sodds . . .

 

*Tartiflette Toastie*

Serves 1

Printable Recipe 

Hearty lunch fare inspired by a recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.  Have been eyeing this recipe up for years.  It combines several of my favourite things. Potatoes, bacon, cheese and crusty bread! 

1 TBS rapeseed oil
2 TBS bacon lardons

1 large cold cooked potato, peeled and thickly sliced

(Boiled, roasted, baked, any work)

1 -2 TBS double cream or creme fraiche

1 large thick slice of bread

3 to 4 thick slices of a semi soft or semi hard cheese with

good melting properties (I used reblochon)

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

salad to serve, if desired 

Heat the oil in a medium non-stick skillet.  Add the bacon to the pan and brown all over.  Add the potato slices and fry until they begin to crisp on the edges and turn golden grown.. Stir in the creme fraiche or cream, and heat through. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and black pepper. 

Toast the bread.  Pile the potato mixture on top and then lay the cheese over top of the potatoes.  Pop under a hot grill until the cheese has melted and is bubbling.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

The recipe is geared to one person, but is very easily adapted to feed more people.  Just multiply the ingredients according to however many you want to feed or indulge.  Bon Appetit!

Posted in: Mixed