Tarteflette

Tarteflette is one of my favourite potato dishes and one I make all year round. This recipe is based on a Mary Berry version she cooked in my kitchen a few years ago.When I make this dish, it reminds me of lunch in the French Alps. Although the French use Savoyard, I prefer to use the Italian Taleggio. If you can’t get hold of Taleggio, then use Brie.

It is best made using waxy potatoes and, during the summer, I use small, baby potatoes, but in the winter I use large potatoes, cut into small chunks. Normally, Tarteflette is made with finely chopped bacon, which you would cook at the same time as the onion and mushrooms. I have omitted the bacon in this recipe so it is suitable for vegetarian guests as well. If you wanted to add the bacon, use 250g of chopped, smoked bacon.

Ingredients

900g (2lb) potatoes either sliced or cut into small chunks1-2tbsp olive oil1 large onion finely chopped250g (9oz) button mushrooms quartered150g (5�oz) Taleggio cheese300ml (�pt) double cream

1 Parboil the potatoes until just cooked, drain and set to one side. 2 Whilst the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan and soften the onion, then add the mushrooms and stir for a further 2-3 minutes.3 Butter a large lasagne type dish and scatter half the potatoes over the base. Spoon the mushroom mixture over the top and season. Remove the rind from the cheese, thinly slice it, and then arrange half the cheese as the next layer. Top with the rest of the mushrooms and onion mix then the last of the potatoes, season and finish with the cheese.4 Pour over the cream, sprinkle with paprika and cook in a preheated oven of 200C/gas mark 6 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.