Revive Your Poultry Dishes with This Forgotten Rustic Recipe Instead of Gratin Dauphinois!

With a texture that is both crispy and tender, affordable ingredients, and even “a hint of gratin dauphinois,” the side dish presented by food critic François-Régis Gaudry is bound to be a hit. He brings a generous take on an old countryside recipe that has been sidelined over time. A subscriber describes it: “In the Loire and Haute-Loire regions, it’s known as a ‘râpée'”. Traditionally, it is served with green salad, charcuterie, or roasted meats. Known as “râpée stéphanoise” or “forézienne,” it was once a staple among farmers. But you’ll see, it pairs wonderfully with holiday poultry…

To make it, you’ll need a coarse grater, a colander, and a mixing bowl because the râpée is essentially a crispy potato, onion, and grated Comté cheese pancake. Here, François-Régis Gaudry offers it in an extra-large version for more shared enjoyment. The star ingredient? The Bintje potato, which the critic ensures is organically grown. “It’s crucial because I’ll grate them with the skin on: it adds to the crispiness,” he notes. And for the rest, just follow his detailed recipe…

• 6 to 8 Bintje potatoes (about 1.5 kilograms)
• 1 egg
• 250 g of Comté cheese
• 60 g or 3 tbsp of flour
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• A bit of nutmeg
• 1 pinch of coarse salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Grate the potatoes with their skins on over a large piece of parchment paper using a coarse grater. Then place the grated potatoes in a colander set over a mixing bowl.
3. Grate the onion, peeled garlic clove, and Comté cheese. “Personally, I leave the rind on the Comté: it adds flavor,” says François-Régis Gaudry.
4. Squeeze the grated potatoes in the colander to drain well. Pour off the water but keep the thin white layer at the bottom of the bowl. “That’s the potato starch: it will help bind the pancake,” the critic explains.
5. Add all the grated ingredients to the bowl with the starch. Incorporate the egg, flour, a bit of grated nutmeg, and a pinch of coarse salt. Mix everything thoroughly by hand.
6. Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes at 400°F (200°C), flipping the pancake halfway through the cooking time.

Once it’s crispy and golden on both sides, your pancake is ready to be enjoyed! You’ll find it’s a standout dish among your guests…