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Truffade

Cantal's pan of fried potatoes melted with young Cantal cheese (truffade)

Truffade is cattle-herders' food from the volcanic mountains of the Cantal, cooked in a big pan over the fire in the stone burons where Salers cows spend the summer. Potato slices are fried until tender and lightly golden, then folded with thin slices of young tomme fraîche du Cantal until the cheese melts into strings, and the whole thing is eaten with a green salad, nothing else. Herders used lard; this version uses butter and oil, so it is vegetarian. Tomme du Cantal is made with animal rennet; a young vegetarian cheese that melts well, such as a mild Lancashire-style or vegetarian mozzarella, also works. Chef's tip: slice the potatoes as thin as a coin so they cook through before they burn.
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Rinse 2 ¼ lb waxy potatoes in cold water and pat dry in a tea towel.

  2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil and 1 oz butter in a large heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potatoes and 1 tsp salt and cook for 20–25 minutes, turning often with a spatula, until tender all the way through and golden in places. Cover the pan for the first 10 minutes so they steam as well as fry.

    25 min
  3. Step 3: Stir in 2 clove garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

    1 min
  4. Step 4: Turn the heat to low, scatter over 10 ½ oz tomme fraîche du Cantal or young Cantal and fold it through gently for 2–3 minutes, until it melts and pulls into long strings. Common mistake: keeping the heat high once the cheese goes in, which makes it greasy and stuck to the pan.

    3 min
  5. Step 5: Grind over ½ tsp black pepper, scatter with 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve straight from the pan with a green salad.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
480 kcal
Protein
19 g
Carbs
38 g
Fat
28 g
Fibre
4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does truffade take?
About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
What can I use instead of butter?
The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).

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