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It’s easy to grow fond of fondue with a home in the French Alps…

Posted on 05 August 2013

The Savoie region of the French Alps is popular not only for its world-class skiing, its chic resorts and fantastic scenery, but also for its delicious gastronomy, which owners of Alpine property can enjoy each time they visit their apartment or chalet.

So what are the most famous dishes of the Savoie and Haute Savoie, region’s with a strong farming past? Unsurprisingly, cheese forms the basis of the region’s signature dishes, with Reblochon, first made in the 14th Century, being a local favourite.

After a satisfying day on the slopes, sitting down to a cheese fondue is a popular choice. Smooth and moreish, this recipe is made from several different hard cheeses – typically Beaufort, Comté and Gruyère – which are grated and then placed in a pot rubbed in garlic, and then melted with white wine, so that morsels can be dipped and coated in cheese.

A variation on melted cheese is the raclette, for which you melt slabs of cheese on a special grill and tip it over potatoes, served with cold meats and pickles. Then there is the tartiflette, which is a tart of cheese melted over lightly fried bacon and potatoes, and tourte au Reblochon  – a whole round Reblochon cheese baked in a pastry crust.

Less cheesy dishes of the Savoie include Fricasée de caïon, a type of rich slow-cooked casserole made of pork marinated in onions, seasoning, pig’s blood and wine. Diots are one of the region’s most common sausages and are often cooked in white wine with crozats, tiny squares of pasta. Pork is a popular meat in the French Alps, and as well as ham and lardons, it is used for a variety of pork sausages and dried or salted meats.

Owning a ski home in the French Alps doesn’t just bring fun on the slopes and beautiful scenery, but also the chance to enjoy some delicious food.