As we at last start to feel a bit more warmth from the sun and see the flowers popping up around us, early spring has always been one of my favourite times of year. We used to spend this time of year working in the mountains and I have a deep fondness for their everchanging beauty and clearly defined seasons.
My husband and I met whilst working out in the Alps and both embraced the lifestyle, food and culture that is on offer…for me it wasn’t all about the ski, ski, ski but much more about absorbing mountain life and especially the cuisine.
I remember being lucky enough to go on a couple of skiing holidays with my family when I was a lot younger, all learning to ski together. Mum having the time of her life and Dad maybe not so much!! The combination of not being blessed with great coordination and being self-employed left him terrified of breaking any bones…One of my first Alpine food memories was having lunch in the small town of Ellmau at a stall made of ice and snow, eating bratwurst, served on a piece of dark rye bread with sweet mustard. I can clearly recall bursting its skin with my teeth, then tang of the mustard and the pungent, smoky aromas in the air. Knowing I had never experienced these flavours before, I was hooked and wanted more.
I am not making a bratwurst this month but instead drawing on my time in the French Alps with one of our favourite dishes, tartiflette. We have just got back from the Haut-Savoie which is impossible to travel through without eating tartiflette. It is named after the old savoyard word for potato, tartifle and uses the local ingredients to perfection. I am normally relatively flexible with ingredients however Tartiflette can only be made using reblochon, a local washed rind cheese made from unpasteurised milk, this is non negotiable. The milk that is used for reblochon can only be produced by three different sorts of cows, these cows can navigate mountain terrain and in summer this process is important as they are milked at high altitude and the quality of the milk is what gives the cheese its distinctive, delicious flavour. It is in fact not a difficult recipe and SO delicious, I urge you to give it a try.
Tartiflette
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg of white waxy potatoes
- 2 x medium white onions (finely chopped)
- 4 x cloves garlic
- 300g smoked pancetta (de-rind and dice)
- 2 x sprigs rosemary
- 50g unsalted butter
- 250ml White wine
- 250gm Crème fraîche
- Salt & pepper