Tartiflette

The first time we had this dish was in a French motorway service station... not the grot spots of the UK, these are place where you are asked how you'd like your steak and it is cooked in front of you...while you wait, no heat lamps, dried up food in their rest stops. The quality of Paul's steak was fabulous, the french fries hot, crisp and very tasty. Jo opted for the Tartiflette as dauphinoise potatoes and bacon are her two favourite foods... put them together and she's in heaven! When the girls were little they used to call it dolphin nosed potatoes and its stuck, this dish is aptly named dolphin nosed potatoes with bacon...aka tartiflette, how original!

The original recipe contains Reblochon cheese but I usually make it with regualr cheddar as I couldn't find Reblochon here in the UK, however a foodie friend just told me we can buy it in Waitrose so that's where I'm heading before making it again!

You will need:

50g unsalted butter, softened

175g bacon or pancetta, cut into 1cm lardons

250g cup mushrooms, sliced

1kg waxy potatoes, peeled and sliced to a 3mm thickness

Salt and freshly ground pepper

250g Reblochon cheese, cubed

568ml carton double cream

What you have to do...

1.Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas 2. With half the butter, grease a shallow baking dish, about 25 x 30cm.

2.Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the bacon. Sauté for about 5 minutes until crisp and brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

3.Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the bacon fat. Return the pan to the heat and add the mushrooms. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Season.

4.Toss the potato slices with salt and pepper. Arrange half in a layer in the dish. Sprinkle with the bacon and mushrooms. Top with half the cheese, Top with the remaining potatoes. Pour enough cream over the top to just cover the potatoes - you may not need it all. Dot with the remaining butter.

5.Bake for about 1¼ hours, or until the potatoes are tender. Dot with the remaining cheese, and return to the oven until brown and bubbling (about 15 minutes). Remove from the oven, cover with foil and leave for 10-15 minutes before serving

I made this today as her special treat, its not the most healthiest of dishes, what with the double cream, heese and bacon but hey a girl needs a treat now and again!

It was made especially easy having my Pampered Chef mandolin though... cutting the wafer thin potatoes was a breeze and because of the special design I still have 10 digits left at the end of the prep!!!!

Layered up and ready for the oven!

Golden brown, crispy on top and soft and creamy just like it should be!!!