Tartiflette with Potatoes, Bacon and Reblochon

Cut the peeled potatoes into even slices about 1 cm thick, cutting very wide slices in half. Slice the onion into thin half-rings and cut the bacon into batons about 0.5 cm thick and 2 cm long. Have ready an ovenproof dish with a capacity of about 3 l, roughly 30 × 20 cm and 6 cm deep. Do not grease it with any extra fat.

Put the potatoes in a pot, add just enough cold water to cover them, and bring to a boil. Cook gently for about 8–10 minutes from when the water comes to a boil. A fork should enter a slice with slight resistance in the center; the potatoes should be almost tender but hold their shape and not fall apart. Drain off all the water thoroughly. Return the pot to low heat for about 2 minutes and shake it gently to steam-dry the potatoes without browning them. While they cook, prepare the bacon and onion as described in the next steps. Cover the steam-dried potatoes while finishing the onion so they stay warm.

Preheat the oven to 200°C with conventional top and bottom heat. Put the bacon in a cold, wide skillet and cook over medium heat for about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The fat should render and the batons should brown lightly. Do not add oil or butter and do not pour off the rendered fat. Lower the heat if the small pieces start browning too deeply.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onion to the bacon with all its fat and cook for about 8–10 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly golden. Do not burn the onion or bacon. Pour in all the measured 50 ml water, scrape up the browned deposits from the bottom with a spatula, and heat for about 2–3 minutes, until the free liquid has almost evaporated but the onion remains moist. Add all the pepper and stir. Keep the fat and juices in the skillet for assembly.

Remove the paper, any remaining packaging, and the identification marker from the cheese, keeping the edible rind. Cut the Reblochon horizontally through the middle of its thickness into two flat halves. Cut half the cheese, 250 g, into pieces about 2 cm for the filling. Divide the remaining 250 g into a few larger pieces to fit the dish, keeping their flat rind surface intact to face upward.

Gently combine the warm potatoes with the bacon, onion, and the entire contents of the skillet, including the fat and juices. Add the 250 g smaller Reblochon pieces and mix carefully without crushing the potatoes. Transfer everything to the dish and level it without pressing it down. Arrange the remaining 250 g cheese on top, rind side up and cut side down toward the potatoes. Leave about 1–2 cm of space below the rim for bubbling and put the dish straight into the preheated oven. Do not add salt: the bacon and cheese already contain it.

Bake without a cover on the middle rack for about 25–30 minutes. The cheese should melt completely, the rind on top should brown, and the contents should bubble clearly around the edges. Push a fork into a potato slice in the center of the dish: it should enter without resistance, because the potatoes must be completely tender. If they are still a little firm, bake for another 5–10 minutes; loosely cover the top with foil if it is already deeply browned. Do not finish baking based only on the cheese browning.

Take the dish out of the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes so the casserole sets slightly. Divide into four portions and serve with a wide spoon, taking potatoes, bacon, onion, melted cheese, and juices from the bottom. Serve the edible cheese rind as well. Do not pour off the fat and do not add any garnish; serve the tartiflette warm.