My Favorite French Dishes

I know you've heard it before, but it is true...you simply cannot think of France and not think of the food.
Also, you most definitely cannot live in France and not become obsessed with food, and with finding the best that is available, both locally and regionally.

The most heavenly fromage de chèvre. The firmest, most perfect asparagus. The crispiest baguette. The fruitiest olive oil. The butcher with the best cuts of meat. The richest farm eggs. The sweetest apricots, melons and cherries. The juiciest magret de canard. The flakiest croissants. The charcuterie with the most flavorful sausages.

France is a paradise for food lovers.


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Tartiflette Weather

When it gets really cold in New Orleans people like to say, "it's Gumbo weather." Here in France, when the temperature dips this low (-3 degrees C this morning and I doubt it will get above freezing today) I like to say," it's Tartiflette weather."



Now, I realize that because I live in the Languedoc I should be saying, "it's Cassoulet weather." (I say that sometimes too)
But who can resist a dish of layered potatoes, onions, bacon and crème fraîche, smothered with bubbly, melted Reblochon cheese?
Not me!

The recipe is super easy and I like to serve it with a big green salad so I don't feel so bad about all the cream and cheese I've just inhaled.

Tartiflette
serves 4

• 2 pounds potatoes
• 8 ounces lardons fumé or cubed, smoked bacon
• 1 onion
• 1 Reblochon cheese, sliced in half crosswise
• 2 tablespoons crème fraiche or heavy cream
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Peel potatoes and boil in salted water until cooked through. When finished, drain and cut in thick slices.
3. Sauté the bacon until cooked through, but not crisp, then add the onions and sauté until softened.
4. Cover the bottom of a gratin dish with slices of potatoes, then with a layer of the onions and bacon. Repeat with the potatoes, etc...
5. Add the cream, pour the wine over and cover with the halved Reblochon, rind on top.
6. Put in the oven and cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees and cook about 15 minutes more, until the Reblochon is melted and golden.

If you're not in France, Reblochon can be purchased through amazon.com

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Photos du Jour - Tartiflette

Tartiflette.
One of my favorite winter dishes. Loaded with potatoes, bacon, onions and Reblochon cheese, how can you go wrong with such savory decadence???

Here's the recipe I use.



Dinner with our guests at Jean-Pierre and Agnès' house. They were kind enough (and brave enough) to invite all six of us Americans over for dinner. And they made Tartiflette! Pin It

La Fête du Fromage

This week there was so much going on that we only took the time to try one lovely cheese, Reblochon de Savoie.

The mountainous Haut-Savoie region in central, eastern France is the home to this AOC celebrated cheese. Reblochon is made from the unpasteurized milk of three different breeds of cattle: the Abondance, the Tarine and the Montbéliarde. It has an interesting history...in the 13th Century farmers in this region were taxed on milk production. So, with the tax man literally watching over their shoulder, they would take only half the milk from the cow, pretending that they had gotten it all, pay the tax, then sneak back and get the rest of the milk. The family then make their cheese with this higher-in-butterfat milk from the second milking.
Reblochon is supple, smooth and moist with fresh, grassy aromas and buttery, rich and hazelnut flavors. This is an all around delicious cheese that is wonderful to nibble on with some dry cured saucisson or to cook with. The most famous dish made with Reblochon is Tartiflette, a heavy potato, bacon, cheese and onion dish that is the ultimate, stick-to-your-ribs, winter dish. Here's a recipe.
Wine to pair with Reblochon: a white vin de Savoie or a fruity red such as Beaujolais-Villages Pin It