Anthony Bourdain's 5-Ingredient Side Dish Is My Forever Favorite

I've always admired how Anthony Bourdain used food as a gateway to explore the world. His fearless approach to both cuisine and life inspired me to step out of my culinary comfort zone and consider ingredients and dishes I'd typically shy away from.

For example, I've never been especially drawn to French cuisine. I know; that’s an unpopular opinion. I just prefer bolder flavors with lots of acid and heat. 

Still, my family requests one French dish from time to time, so when I read a review claiming that Bourdain’s tartiflette recipe would make home cooks "forget all about potatoes au gratin," I knew I had to try it.

Turns out the review was right. Layers of tender potatoes, crispy lardons, and sweet, silky onions blanketed in creamy cheese, this warm, comforting potato dish from the French Alps made me question why my family ever craved potatoes au gratin in the first place.

How To Make Anthony Bourdain's Tartiflette

First, peel, dice, and boil 2 1/2 pounds of potatoes until they are just tender. While they cool, dice some slab bacon and get it sizzling in a pan. Once it starts to crisp, add sliced onions and white wine, sautéeing everything in the bacon fat to deepen the flavor.

Then, drain the potatoes, season them with salt and pepper, and gently toss them with the bacon mixture. I use a 1.5-quart casserole dish to build my layers, adding half the potato mixture and topping it with slices of Brie cheese, then adding another layer of potatoes and lardons before the final helping of cheese.

The recipe calls for Reblochon, a semi-soft French cheese that’s stinky—in a good way—but difficult to find in the U.S. Though it lacks Reblochon’s funkiness, Brie is a decent substitute. If you prefer something with a more robust flavor, you can try Camembert. But, honestly, we’re talking about a dish of potatoes and bacon; nearly any cheese works. Just choose one with decent melting properties and a bit of sharpness, like Gruyère, Fontina, or Asiago.

Build the tartiflette with a thick layer of creamy Brie before transferring it to a 350°F oven to bake for 20 minutes. That’s where the magic happens. The cheese comes out golden and bubbly, and the potatoes take an unexpected creaminess with a smoky bacon flavor.

It is a rich, hearty dish that could easily steal the spotlight as a main course. At dinnertime, my daughter pushed hers aside and asked if there were more potatoes. When I quizzically said there were lots more, she beamed happily, enthusing, "That's good because I'm going to devour these!" To my delight, she had sequestered them on her plate because she was saving the best for last. 

Tips for Making the Perfect Tartiflette

1. Choose the right potatoes. Waxy potatoes, like Yukon Gold, are ideal for tartiflette because they hold their shape during cooking. They create a firmer, more structured dish, even as they cook to tender and creamy. Avoid starchy potatoes like Russets, as they may break down too much and make the dish mushy.
2. Cut the potatoes before cooking. The recipe says to boil whole potatoes, but cutting them before cooking will save time and ensure the potatoes are cooked all the way through. 
3. Start the potatoes in cold, salted water. Cold water brings the potatoes to temperature gently and cooks them evenly. The salt infuses the potatoes, so you don't have to season later in the process.
4. Use any bacon you like. Lardons—cubes of crisp-cooked bacon—are what elevate this dish from "cheesy potatoes" to "I can't stop eating this" territory. The recipe calls for slab bacon, or unsliced bacon, which can be into nice, little cubes. But it’s also more expensive than sliced bacon. Just choose a bacon you like and can afford, and dice it for your tartiflette. It will work just as well.

What To Serve with Tartiflette

This dish is so rich, it’s "I might need a nap after this" rich. To balance it out, I served mine with a simple roast chicken and a fresh green salad dressed in a tart vinaigrette. The acidity cut through the tartiflette’s creaminess. A glass of crisp white wine from the Savoie region would be the perfect pairing, but those are hard to find in the States. Any dry white wine will complement the dish. 

Making Bourdain's tartiflette left me nostalgic, bringing back warm memories of a trip to Paris more than 15 years ago. It also reminded me to stay curious and try new things when cooking. While this wouldn't have been a recipe I naturally gravitated toward, it will, from now on, be a holiday staple my family can look forward to. In fact, it’s easier to make than potatoes au gratin, and I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't given it a try.