Whether you prepare this dish for a chilly evening or a summer luncheon, potato cake with cheese and bacon, also known as la truffade, is delicious and filling. This traditional potato dish hails from the Auvergne region of France, complement it with a rustic rye loaf for a complete meal.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lard
- 2 pounds baking potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces diced Gruyere or Cantal cheese (substitute sharp Cheddar for Cantal)
Preparation:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until it has just cooked through, but is not crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate lines with a paper towel.
Melt the lard in the skillet over medium heat and add the potatoes to the hot lard. Season the potatoes with the salt and pepper, cover the pan with a lid, and cook over low heat for 6 minutes.
Add the cooked bacon to the potatoes and continue cooking over low heat, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes. The potatoes are ready for the addition of cheese when some of them begin to turn golden brown. Add the diced cheese to the cooked potato and bacon mixture and press down firmly on the ingredients with the back of a large wooden spoon to form a dense cake.
Cook the potato cake over medium-high heat, uncovered, for about 4 minutes, until the cake is brown around the edges. Remove the skillet from the heat, run a knife around the edges, and invert the cake onto a serving plate. Serve hot.
This potato cake with cheese and bacon recipe makes 4 servings.
