OUR MUSHROOM TARTIFLETTE

SERVES 2

At the time of writing, I can see horizontal rain from my window and my mind has turned to this warming, rich and shamelessly buttery dish. If you don’t like mushrooms, just double the quantity of bacon.

INGREDIENTS

A LOT OF BUTTER

250G MIXED MUSHROOMS

250G BACON LARDONS

130G ONION, ROUGHLY CHOPPED

330G POTATOES, CUT INTO SMALL CUBES

1 CLOVE GARLIC, FINELY CHOPPED

250G CRÈME FRAÎCHE SOME DOUBLE CREAM

225G DURRUS CHEESE, CUT INTO SMALL CUBES

Set the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 5.

Melt a large knob of butter in a heavy pan. Cook the mushrooms until starting brown and caramelise. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Cook the lardons on the pan until just starting to crisp. Add to the mushrooms. Melt more butter on the pan and soften the onions. Add to the mushrooms. Melt even more butter and cook the potatoes until they start to colour. Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add to the mushrooms. Mix all of the ingredients well together. Mix the crème fraîche together with enough double cream to make it thickly pourable, then add to the other ingredients. Finally, dot the top with the cubes of cheese and bake until bubbling and turning golden, about 25 minutes. It’s rich but very good with a slightly bitter green salad with a sharp mustardy dressing. And a tart white wine. Australian Riesling would hit the spot.