The Secrets of Perfect Cooking: The First Phase in the Oven

Preheat your oven to 180°C. This temperature guarantees even cooking without drying out the potatoes. After washing them, place them in a bowl for the seasoning stage, a crucial moment that determines the final aromatic intensity of the dish.

The seasoning combines fleur de sel, olive oil, paprika, crushed garlic cloves, and herbs de Provence. Mix vigorously to coat each tuber uniformly. This protective layer traps the flavors during the prolonged cooking that follows.

Spread the seasoned potatoes on a baking dish, then imperatively cover with aluminum foil. This technical detail transforms the cooking: the aluminum creates a steam atmosphere that tenderizes the flesh deep down. Without this protection, direct evaporation would harden the exterior before the interior is cooked.

Bake for exactly 1 hour and 30 minutes. This prolonged time is the pillar of the recipe. It allows the potatoes to reach that particular tenderness that will allow subsequent smashing without falling apart. Insufficient cooking would make smashing impossible, while excessive cooking would produce a shapeless mash.

This first phase requires patience but frees up your time: during these 90 minutes, you prepare the Reblochon according to a specific technique that deserves your full attention.

The Savoyard Touch: Preparing the Reblochon for a Perfect Fusion

Take advantage of these 90 minutes of cooking to master the cutting of the Reblochon, a decisive step for the final result. Take the cheese out of the refrigerator: room temperature facilitates handling without crushing.

Cut the Reblochon into slices exactly 1 cm thick. This precise measurement determines the melting time: if thicker, they would remain firm in the center; if thinner, they would burn before developing their creaminess. Use a thin-bladed knife, wiped between each cut for clean slices.

The trick lies in the division: cut each slice into three pieces lengthwise. This strategic geometry multiplies the contact points with the smashed surface of the potatoes, guaranteeing an even distribution of the melted cheese. Each tuber will thus receive its individual portion, avoiding overloaded or Reblochon-free zones.

Arrange these sections on a plate while waiting for the oven to finish. Timing is crucial: do not prepare the cheese too early to preserve its firm texture, which is essential when placing it on the smashed potatoes.

This methodical preparation of the Reblochon transforms an ordinary garnish into a sophisticated cheese layer that will perfectly hug the reliefs created by the smashing, a technique whose execution requires a precise gesture.

The “Smashing”: The Technique That Makes All the Difference

Upon leaving the oven, the potatoes reveal their perfect tenderness. Immediately transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, an essential support for the gratin phase. The residual heat maintains the flexibility necessary for optimal smashing.

Take a glass jar bottom or the back of a large spoon, and apply firm vertical pressure to each tuber. The gesture must be frank but controlled: smash until you obtain a patty about 1.5 cm thick, without completely disintegrating the potato. The edges will crack slightly, creating those characteristic crispy irregularities.

This compression drastically increases the contact surface with the Reblochon: a whole potato offers a limited placement area, while the smashed version triples this surface area. The formed asperities trap the melted cheese in their crevices, generating that sought-after texture-flavor marriage.

Space the patties at least 2 cm apart on the sheet to allow for optimal air circulation. Excessive crowding produces steam, softening the edges instead of making them crispy. Each smashed potato now awaits its cheese crown, ready for the final metamorphosis under the effect of heat.

The Final Phase: Gratinating and Serving for Optimal Tasting

The smashed patties now welcome their Reblochon crown. Arrange the previously cut slices on each potato, covering the surface generously. The cheese overflows slightly from the edges: this generosity is not a defect, but a guarantee of golden drips that will crisp up in the oven.

Bake the sheet for 30 minutes at 180°C. This precise timing transforms the Reblochon without carbonizing it: the first 10 minutes melt it, the next 20 develop that slightly gratinated crust and those characteristic golden bubbles. An oven that is too hot would burn the cheese before the edges of the potatoes become crispy.

Upon removal, resist the temptation to serve immediately. Transfer the smashed potatoes to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes. This crucial rest allows moisture to escape from underneath: without this step, contact with the plate softens the base, canceling out the sought-after crispy-melting contrast.

Serve with a slightly acidic homemade tomato sauce: its tanginess balances the richness of the Reblochon, while its freshness wakes up the whole dish. Each bite then offers three distinct textures – crispy crust, melting flesh, flowing cheese – for a complete taste experience where Savoyard tradition meets modern culinary creativity.