Loving the winter with tartiflette aka cheesy potato gratin

It's been a funny little winter this year in Finland. I take pride in not complaining about the weather, but this year even I've had to complain a bit. I'd love the winters to be "normal", which to me means snow (from just some to a lot, I don't complain), minus degree celsius (from just some to a lot, I don't complain) and overall enjoyable winter. This year we've been getting mostly rain and ice. And seeing as one of my hobbies is outside horseback riding... Well. Snow and minus degree is good, ice is not.

Just hoping our lovely globe doesn't get much too much warmer...

Either way, any type of weather you'll be happy with once preparing yourself a lovely "little" tartiflette! If you haven't tried, it's high time. It's originally from Alps, which means you really do need to get Reblochon as the cheese. It won't do with a substitute. But as it's readily available in good cheese shops, even it isn't a problem.

Tartiflette aka cheesy potato gratin

1,5 kg potatoes, peeled
1 slide onion
200g smoked bacon or other such meat (such as lardonnes)
fresh thyme spring
1 dl white wine / broth (I used a mix of white wine vinegar, sherry and water)
(raw sausage such as chorizo*)
2 tsp crushed garlic
500 g piece of Reblochon cheese
salt
black pepper

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes or so, until slightly soft. Drain, let cool and slice.

Cook the bacon and raw sausage. Put to wait on side and soften the onions in the fat left from bacon and sausage. When onions have softened, put the bacon and sausage back on the pan. Add the thyme, wine/other liquid and seasonings, simmer for 5 minutes, then remove the thyme.

Heat the oven to 180 C. Layer the oven dish with half the potatoes, top with the bacon mixture and follow with the remaining potatoes, making another layer. Or else just mix all of it together.

Place the whole piece of cheese** in the centre of the dish on top of the potatoes. Cook in the oven for 25 minutes until golden. It looks like this before the oven:

* You don't need to add this, but it makes it even better. You can use any type of sausage, but if you use raw sausage, cook it before adding to dish. Pre-cooked sausage you can just add when putting the dish together.
** You do need to use the cheese as WHOLE. We've been trying to use less, but it does not melt as it should and the result isn't anything as good. 


If you can imagine potatoes and meat with cheese.... you'll love this! The Reblochon melts and creates a type of "cheese sauce"... I'm getting hungry just by thinking of it! We'll definately do another batch during this wintertime still 💓