Sichuan peppercorns and shiitake mushroom tartiflette

Begin by preheating the oven to 180°C fan 

Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices, around 4 mm thick

Parboil the potato slices in a pot of salted water for 5 minutes until they are slightly tender, but not fully cooked

Drain and set aside

Next, cook the mushrooms and bacon. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil

Add the bacon lardons. Cook until crispy then remove them from the pan and place in a separate bowl from the potatoes

Add in the sliced shiitake mushrooms and sauté until they release their liquid and begin to brown

Add in the minced garlic and Sichuan peppercorns, then cook for another 1–2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant

Remove the mushrooms from the heat and transfer to the bowl with the bacon

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and sauté the onions over medium until soft and browned, about 15-20 minutes. Add in the white wine and let it reduce by about three quarters

Next, assemble the tartiflette. Grease a 20 × 30 cm baking dish with butter then arrange a layer of the potato slices on the bottom of the dish, followed by half of the sautéed onions

Add half of the mushroom and bacon mixture over the onions then pour half of the crème fraîche evenly over the layers

Season with salt and pepper then repeat the layering process, ending with a final layer of potatoes on top

Arrange the slices of Reblochon cheese over the potatoes, then cover the tray with tin foil

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 20–25 minutes until the top is golden and the potatoes are cooked through

Remove from the oven then leave to cool slightly before serving