Just like fashion, food trends come and go. Fondue was all the rage in the 1960s and 70s, thanks to the Swiss cheese “cartel” (yes, you read that correctly), and raclette’s popularity keeps growing: its consumption in France shot up 12.6% during the long months of confinement in 2020. Despite the trends, people’s love of hot melted cheese never really goes away. Why? Because these dishes are like the culinary equivalent of a giant hug.
While many hearty cheese dishes hail from the Alps, other mountainous regions have given birth to celebrated cheese-laden recipes that started out as humble peasant food. Once the potato was introduced to Europe in the mid 16th century, it also became a household staple, often replacing bread in many simple dishes. The marriage of these two ingredients has evolved into much loved and anticipated cold-weather fare.
Aligot and truffade are two of the most well-known cheese recipes from the Aubrac plateau, which spreads across part of the Auvergne and Occitanie in south-central France. The regional Fromage called tome fraîche, mixed and melted with potatoes, is the foundation of these two filling dishes. Tome Fraiche is more curd-like than actual cheese, that, when matured, will become drums of Cantal, Laguiole or Salers. Tome is unsalted, aged for only 20 hours, and is at its stretchy best between 2-10 days. And that stretchy texture is what makes these dishes so special.
Aligot photo credit Jennifer Greco
Aligot
Aligot is essentially cheesy mashed potatoes. When cooked, floury potatoes are beaten vigorously with melted tome fraîche, they form elastic-like strands that are able to extend up to 7 feet long! Recipes may be as simple as a mixture of starchy potato purée, crème fraîche and tome fraîche, as suggested by the Jeune Montagne cheese cooperative in Laguiole, France, or may also include garlic, butter, nutmeg and even, very non-traditionally, black truffles.
Truffade @ Le Plomb du Cantal @ Montparnasse @ Paris By Guilhem Vellut is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Truffade
Truffade, on the other hand, is more like a potato and cheese gratin that requires firm, waxy potatoes that will remain intact during cooking. They are sautéed in lard, duck or goose fat, and once golden and cooked through, are mixed with tome fraîche. As the cheese warms up and melts, it coats the potatoes and becomes a dish that is akin to macaroni and cheese. Only with potatoes. A perfect meal on a cold day.
Frico photo credit Frank Fariello Memorie di Angelina
Frico
Heading across the border to Italy we find a similar dish called frico, which is a decadent mixture of creamy, melted Montasio cheese layered with sliced or diced potatoes, somewhat like a cheese-filled (or sometimes cheese encased) crispy potato pancake. It hails from the mountains in the Friuli region in the north-east and is another rich dish with peasant origins. Some recipes require simply potatoes and cheese, while others include onions and/or diced, cured pancetta or other ham. Note: Frico Friulana is different from frico cheese crisps, typically made from Parmigiano Reggiano.
Tartiflette photo credit Jennifer Greco
Tartiflette
We have le Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Reblochon and a glut of overripe Reblochon de Savoie in the 80’s to thank for the creation of tartiflette. Prior to that, a traditional French dish consisting of potatoes, onions and Reblochon cheese called péla was enjoyed by the locals in the Savoie. Tartiflette, from the Savoyard word for potato, “tartifla,” tweaks the traditional péla recipe by adding smoked lardons and a splash of white wine. The cheese is cut in half crosswise, placed rind up on top of the cooked potato and bacon mixture, splashed with some local white wine, and baked until golden and bubbly. According to the Reblochon de Savoie’s website, it is a simple, winter dish that requires only a few ingredients: Reblochon de Savoie cheese, firm-flesh potatoes (Roseval or Belle de Fontenay varieties for example), lardons and onions, a splash of Savoyard white wine for the taste (a good Apremont, Chignin, or Roussette for example), some full-cream crème fraiche to enhance the dish’s creaminess and finally a dash of pepper or even a sprinkling of grated nutmeg adds depth of flavor to the dish.
As an aside, for an even more delicious Tartiflette, we recommend that you brown the potatoes with the lardons without adding any oils or fats! This makes them creamier and more flavorsome. However, you can cook them in water if you prefer. It’s a matter of taste. That’s the aside, there’s nothing more to it. Yes, that’s it, that’s all you need. Then, it’s into the stove, to be baked at 200°C (roughly 400°F) for 15 to 20 minutes for a Tartiflette with a golden Reblochon topping. You’re guaranteed to enjoy the dish prepared this way.
Melted cheese dishes pair well with crisp, dry white wines, especially those produced in the Savoie. Dry Riesling from Alsace is another excellent option.