Tartiflette

This Alpine potato and bacon casserole bakes up golden and gloriously gooey thanks to the slices of soft, pungent rind cheese nestled on top. More traditional recipes call for boiling the potatoes separately in one pot, browning the onion and bacon in a skillet, and then combining everything into a casserole dish for baking. This streamlined version accomplishes it all in one large sauté pan. Serve this with a leafy salad of peppery, bitter greens to cut the richness.

Ingredients

• 8

  ounces thick-cut bacon, diced

• 2

  medium yellow onions, diced (about 2 1/2 cups)

• 2

  garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

• 1

  teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

• 2

  pounds Yukon gold or other waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 5 1/2 cups)

• ¾

  cup dry white wine

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 8 to 10

  ounces soft cow’s milk cheese with a bloomy rind, such as Reblochon, Camembert or Brie

• ½

  cup crème fraîche

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Add bacon to a cold (10- to 12-inch) skillet and place the pan over medium heat. Let bacon cook until some of the fat renders and the edges turn golden, about 7 to 10 minutes. (You’re not looking to crisp the bacon.)
2. Add onions to the pan and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in garlic, thyme and nutmeg, and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. Add potatoes, wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and toss until well combined. Cover the pan and cook, stirring every once in a while so nothing sticks, until potatoes are just tender and the liquid has mostly evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes. If the pan dries out while the potatoes are cooking, add a splash or two of water.
4. Leaving the rind on, cut the cheese into slices or wedges. Stir crème fraîche into the potatoes, then nestle the cheese in evenly. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese melts and the potatoes are very tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve hot or warm.