Raclette Tartiflette

• servings: serves 8, with salad

Ingredients

2 small garlic cloves

1 tablespoon (15 grams) unsalted butter

Kosher salt

3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) Yukon Gold potatoes

½ pound (225 grams) thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch lardons or matchsticks (can substitute with thickly slice mushrooms that have been seasoned & sautéed in butter)

2 medium yellow onions, halved, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup (80 grams) dry white wine

½ cup (120 grams) crème fraîche or heavy cream

1 pound (455 grams) Raclette with rind, kept chilled so it's easier to slice

Directions

PREPARE THE DISH

Halve one garlic clove, and rub the cut side of one half around the inside bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch or 3-quart baking dish.

Butter the dish generously.

Mince the second half and the remaining whole clove of garlic and set aside.

PARCOOK THE POTATOES

Cover the potatoes with cold salted water, and bring it to a boil.

Cook the potatoes until you can insert a skewer into them without hitting a crunchy center but they're still fairly firm (they'll get more cooking time in the oven); smaller potatoes will take 12 to 15 min- utes, larger ones 15 to 20.

Drain the potatoes and set them aside.

MEANWHILE COOK THE BACON

Add the bacon to a cool, dry large sauté pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until it's darker and crisp.

Scoop it out with a slotted spoon, and set it aside.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat, saving the rest for another use.

Add the onions and the minced garlic to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the wine carefully— it will splatter. Scrape up any stuck bits with the wine, and continue cooking until the wine is almost completely cooked off.

Remove the pan from heat, and stir in the crème fraîche and reserved bacon.

ASSEMBLE THE TARTIFLETTE

Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Cut the potatoes into scant ½- inch-thick slices.

Arrange half of them in a single layer in the prepared dish. Season with salt and many grinds of black pepper.

Spoon half of the bacon-cream-onion mix- ture over the potato slices. (This is not a gratin; don't fret if the potatoes are far from submerged in cream.) Arrange the second half of the potato slices on top. Season with more salt and pepper, and spoon the remaining onion mixture over them.

Cut the Raclette into ¼-inch-thick slices, including the rind. (The rind is edible, and delicious once baked.)

Tile the cheese slices over the filling; it should almost fully cover the top.

BAKE

Bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted. For a deeper color on top, broil for a few minutes at the end.

Cut into eight portions and serve with a big green salad!

Notes

From: ‘Smitten Kitchen Keepers’ by Deb Perlman