This is insanely good.  I did not use reblochon (hard to find here in Australia) but managed to pick up another washed rind cheese called Jensens Red (mmmmm!).   This is one gutsy recipe and one that requires the stamina of Richie Porte to sit down and eat.  It is definitely something best served alongside a big salad or zesty vegetables and crusty baguette!

According to Gabriel Gaté, this is french party food for ‘young people’  (showing your age there, Monsieur Gaté!) and a popular dish in the French Alps, particularly during ski season when the fortifying warmth and richness is welcomed after a hard day out on the slopes (probably helps to offset the calories as well!  This dish goes to your hips just by looking at it!)

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Ingredients

• 20 g butter
• 2 brown onions, finely sliced
• 250 g (9 oz) diced smoked bacon, diced
• 1.5 kg (about 3 lb) potatoes, cooked in the skin then cut into 1 cm slices
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 3 tbsp crème fraîche
• 400 g reblochon cheese, cut in half horizontally then in half vertically (or use another washed rind cheese such as Milawa Gold or Tarago Jensens Red)
• ½ glass dry white wine
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley

How to do it

Firstly cook your potatoes in their skins, then cool and slice thinly. I did mine in the microwave by pricking the skins with a fork and microwaving on high for about 12 minutes or so (depending on size of potatoes).  While you are doing this, preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius and slice up your cheese (into wedges and then cut each wedge in half horizontally).

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Peel and thinly slice your onions and dice the bacon into 1cm cubes.  Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the onions.  Saute these for a few minutes until softened, then add the bacon and cook for a further few minutes.  Finally add the potato slices, cook for 5 minutes of so and season well with salt and pepper.

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Layer the potato mix in a well buttered oven dish (I used a large soufflé dish).  Top this mix with the dollops of crème fraîche and the cheese (rind side down) and pour half a glass of crisp dry white wine down the side of the dish (and a cheeky glass for you too!).

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Put the whole lot in the oven for 10 minutes or so until the cheese is golden and melted.  I ended up covering mine in foil and leaving for a bit longer (just to ensure the potatoes had softened enough).  I also didn’t bother with the parsley garnish (seemed a bit superfluous in the face of all that cheese, butter, and bacon!)

Brace yourself and enjoy!  Did I mention that this was insanely good?