How to choose a wine to accompany your tartiflette?
Wine, tartiflette: a recipe loved by all
Among the most popular winter dishes of the French is tartiflette, this warming Savoyard dish. Like the famous raclette, the tartiflette is a must for stays in the mountains and warm evenings after a good day of skiing. The name "tartiflette" comes from the Savoyard "tartifla", which means "potato". . This dish, also called péla, is made with potatoes, accompanied by bacon and onions, all gratinated with a good dose of melted Reblochon de Savoie. This cheese, made from cow's milk and with uncooked pressed paste, benefits from a double AOC. In addition to its very gourmet character, this recipe has the enormous advantage of being both easy to prepare and inexpensive.
Another popular winter dish: raclette! Discover the perfect wine to pair with raclette.
The controversial history of the dish
According to some, the dish was invented in the 80s by a syndicate of Reblochon producers, in order to boost their sales. The most likely version of the story is that this dish already existed, then being called “péla” . This word, in Savoyard, designates the handle of the dish in which the locals cooked their potatoes cut into large pieces, without peeling them. To this, various ingredients were added, including cheese, onions and bacon bits. The Reblochon producers would then have brought the recipe up to date and changed the name, to make it more popular. It worked. Tartiflette is now a great classic in French homes and Reblochon, one of the most popular cheeses. Today, you can even find “special tartiflette” cheese in the supermarket. If some authenticity enthusiasts are annoyed by this marketing creation and its immense success, we find the idea brilliant.
The secret of a good tartiflette
In addition to the cheese, the secret to a successful tartiflette is in the wine covering the potato. Indeed, basting your dish with white wine before cooking releases its aromas and flavors. Discover a superb tartiflette recipe by clicking here .
Ideally, choose from dry, light whites. The best thing is to use Savoy wines, such as an Apremont or a Chignin. Any wine made exclusively from the Jacquère grape will be very good for this recipe.
Which wine to accompany the tartiflette?
White wines, if possible from Savoy
The ideal is to opt for Savoyard white wines, geographically close to Reblochon. To accompany a tartiflette: the wine should be dry and light, carrying a certain tangy note and a share of sweetness in the mouth. This will help counterbalance the fat of the melted cheese and the saltiness of the bacon bits. Wines made from the Jacquère grape variety will generally do the trick, especially Chignin and Apremont. Indeed, wines from this type of vine are perfect to accompany any dish made from Reblochon. Chignin is a white wine with fragrant flavors of apricot, which can create a bold and subtle alliance with tartiflette. Côtes de Blaye is an aromatic dry white with notes of citrus fruits and intense yellow fruits. Its aromas also go particularly well with this type of dish. You can also turn to the Chasselas grape variety, with Crépy, Ripaille and Marignan.
Red wine ?
If red wine is not what comes to mind, when we talk about tartiflette, it can, under certain conditions, go well with this dish. On the wine side, the aromas must be powerful, without diminishing those of the dish. In this case again, you have to be able to create a form of balance. You can choose a local wine, such as Mondeuse, or a Persian grape variety. Avoid wines that are too firm, and turn to supple and juicy wines. Juliénas, or certain Anjou wines, such as Gamay or Anjou Villages, work quite well with this convivial dish. Lightly spiced wines from Jura or Arbois can also do the trick.
The tartiflette recipe
To treat 4 people, you must have a reblochon, a tablespoon of fresh cream, 500 g of onions, a kilo of potatoes and 200 g of bacon.
Also prepare 15 cl of white wine, a knob of butter.
In case you can't find lardons or if you don't have any in your fridge, you can substitute it with diced smoked ham.
Step 1: Begin your preparation by peeling the potatoes. Immerse them in boiling salted water for 20 minutes. To check their cooking, pierce a potato with a knife and if it does not break, it is that it is cooked enough.
Step 2: Drain the potatoes and set them to one side. Continue the preparation by slicing the onions. You must then melt the knob of butter in a frying pan and sauté the onions until they are lightly browned.
Step 3: Then add the bacon bits or ham and the white wine. Do not forget to season this preparation.
Step 4: Let everything simmer for a good ten minutes so that the alcohol evaporates. Meanwhile, take the potatoes and cut them into slices. Take a gratin dish and place half of the onions and bacon in the bottom.
Step 5: Divide the potatoes into slices and pour the rest of the onions and bacon on top. If you want your potatoes to soak up the white wine perfectly, simmer it with the bacon bits and onions before transferring it to the gratin dish.
Step 6: You can also lightly brown the potatoes in butter for a few minutes over high heat before placing them in the gratin dish. Cut the cheese in half horizontally and place these four pieces of reblochon, rind upwards, on top of your preparation. Pepper lightly but do not salt.
Step 7: You can even add a tablespoon of fresh cream. Bake everything in a hot oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Take your dish out of the oven when the preparation is golden brown and serve the white wine tartiflette with a green salad and a few well-seasoned tomatoes.
