Cook and Drink

Perhaps we were thinking about Tartelette when we assumed Tartiflette was something sweet and small. But then we saw a cheese with ‘Fromage pour Tartiflette’ on its wrapping. We bought the cheese, looked for recipes and made Tartiflette. Two things for sure, it’s not sweet and not small.

In 1705 French chef François Massialot wrote Le Cuisinier Roïal et Bourgeois. According to wikipedia and others one of the recipes in this book is for Péla, a dish from the Savoie area. It’s a fairly simple dish with cheese, potatoes, bacon and onions. The dish is named after the pan in which it was prepared.
In the 1980’s too much of the local Savoie cheese Reblochon was produced and clever marketing people of the Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Reblochon created the Tartiflette, a Péla with Reblochon.

Obviously, we wanted to verify the story, so we looked for the recipe for Péla by François Massialot in the 1705 edition of Le Cuisinier Roïal et Bourgeois. No Péla. Well, people make mistakes,
Perhaps it was included in the first edition, published in 1691?
No, it wasn’t.
Maybe he added the recipe later?
We checked the index of the renewed 1728 edition: no Péla.

Did François Massialot write about Péla? Probably not.

Péla was (as is Tartiflette) a simple dish which makes it an unlikely candidate for royalty and bourgeois. Furthermore in those days potatoes had a bad reputation, they were seen as ‘coarse, insipid and the cause of flatulence’ (according to Barbara Ketcham Wheaton, in Savoring the Past). Not something you would happily serve to your king (and survive).

Back to the Tartiflette. It’s a tasty combination of bacon, onions, potatoes and reblochon, probably a modernized and commercialised version of an existing dish from the Savoie area, but nevertheless delicious.

Wine Pairing

An aromatic, white wine with clear acidity will go very well with the dish. It will add freshness to the combination. We decided to enjoy a red wine, one with supple tannins, medium bodied. Our choice was a glass of Château Margilliere Bastide, a wine from the Var region in France, made with grapes such as syrah, cabernet franc and grenache. A well-balanced red wine, with notes of cherries, gentle acidity and a touch of spiciness. Great with all ingredients of the tartiflette.

What You Need

• 250 grams of firm, yellow, waxy Potatoes (Annabel, Charlotte, Ratte, Amandine)
• 150 grams of diced (lightly smoked) Bacon
• one large Onion
• one Reblochon (or a piece of Morbier)
• Olive Oil
• Black Pepper
• Nutmeg

What You Do

1. Peel and slice the onion.
2. Peel and dice the potatoes, same size as the diced bacon.
3. On medium heat, fry bacon and onions for a few minutes.
4. Add the diced potatoes.
5. Preheat the oven to 200 °C or 390 °F.
6. After 5 minutes the potatoes should be softer, but not yet ready. Duration depends on the type of potato.
7. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool somewhat.
8. Halve the cheese.
9. Coarsely chop one halve and add to the mixture. Combine. Add black pepper and nutmeg.
10. Transfer the mixture to an oven dish.
11. Halve the remaining cheese and put these two pieces on top of the mixture, skin side up.
12. Leave in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

PS

François Massialot is well known for the introduction of Crème Brûlée.
True?
Yes! See page 219 of the 1693 edition.