A bowl of macaroni and cheese can simply say "I love you," but sometimes you're looking for a more eloquent and impressive culinary expression. That's where Tativ Wright comes in. It's another carb coated with cheese, but a little more complicated – it's a French dish, after all. To really impress your dining buddies (or please yourself), make this delicious potato dish filled with hugs, kisses, and a full round of cheese.
Originating in the Savoyard region of the Western French Alps, the pie is a hearty dish made with potatoes, lard, onions, and Rebrochon cheese. Most of these ingredients may sound familiar – lardon is basically the fancy way of describing a piece of bacon cut into a match – but reblochon may be fresh to you (to me). Reblochon is a soft, washed raw milk cheese that we can't buy in the U.S. due to the unpasteurized ingredients. While some cheesemakers offer pasteurized versions similar to reblochon, they are not cheap.
If you don't have a reblochon nearby that you're willing to melt it over some potatoes, you can substitute any good melted cheese (or try making your own). If you don't like flower skins, try Portsarut, Havati or Gouda. If you want to get closer to the reblochon experience, then I recommend going for cheese with skin; Try Camembert, Brie, St. André or Burgundy gourmet cheeses.
If you don't have these feelings, make yourself happy and use any melted cheese you like. I used brie cheese because it was readily available at my local grocery store, and the Président brand made a rather ridiculous "coeur de brie" (brie heart) for Valentine's Day, and I couldn't resist buying it.
Just like all comfort foods, pies are actually quite simple. First, boil some lightly salted water in a large pot. Add the peeled potatoes and cook until the forks are tender. If the potatoes are large, cut them in half first. I'm using russet potatoes, but you can also use any colored potatoes – red, white, or yellow. (In retrospect, I should have used waxy potatoes because russet potatoes aren't very resistant to cooking, but they're still lovely.) Drain the potatoes, cool and cut into half-inch-thick slices.
When the potatoes are boiling, fry the lard in a frying pan. If you don't have lard, you can use thin meat or chopped thick-cut bacon. Fry them until browned and crispy on the edges. Remove the meat, but leave the refined fat in the pan. Sauté some chopped shallots and garlic in the lard until soft and translucent. I like to season onions when frying them individually, so sprinkle a little salt while frying. If your garlic and onions are left with anything you like (crispy brown pieces stuck to the pan), glaze the pan with a tablespoon or two of white wine, vermouth, or even water. Don't waste that taste.
Place the chopped potatoes in a large bowl. Pour in the crispy pork and scrape in the onion, garlic and remaining fat from the skillet. (If you're using bacon, this may be too much fat.) About a tablespoon or less will do, but if you exceed that, save it for other uses. Stir the ingredients so that they are well dispersed, then pour everything into a container. Buttered baking sheet or cast iron skillet.
Now for my favorite part: cheese. Cut the cheese wheel (or heart) in half along the equator. You're going to make two circles with the bare ones inside and the outer skin intact. Leave one as is. Cut the other one into half-inch pieces. Sprinkle a potato plate with chunks of cheese. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and press the other half of the cheese into the center, skin side up. Drizzle some heavy cream around the pan. Appreciate its beauty and bake in the oven at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the topmost ingredient is light brown.
Tativ Wright is what I call "self-seasoning." The cream, melted cheese, oil, and ingredients from the skillet are all mixed together at the base of the pan to create a delicious, sparkling cheese sauce. Each tender potato is coated in cheese, and occasionally you'll come across crispy and salty pork. It is truly a dish for cheese lovers.
The recipe below is a pie for two, but you can easily double it for four.