French National Dishes

Farcement savoyard

A slow-cooked Savoyard mould of grated raw potato, smoked bacon and dried fruit, bound with egg and cream and cooked covered for three hours in a water bath.

French National Dishes
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Farcement savoyard — served on a plate
Prep 55 minutes
Cook 180 minutes
Total 270 minutes
Yield 1 moulded farcement, cut into 8 slices
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Farcement savoyard — bacon-lined potato and prune farcement

Farcement savoyard is a distinctly Alpine sweet-and-savoury preparation, not a potato gratin. Raw grated potato forms the body, smoked bacon creates the outer lining and savoury backbone, and prunes and raisins bring the fruit element that makes the dish recognisable. Egg, crème fraîche and a little flour bind the grated potato into a sliceable mass during a long, gentle cook.

The mould matters because the dish cooks from the outside and around the central chimney. A traditional farcement mould is ideal, but a sturdy 2 litre ring or kugelhopf-style mould with a central tube can perform the same household function. Thin bacon slices overlap all around the mould and fold over the top so the potato filling is enclosed before the lid or foil goes on.

Raw potato gives off a surprising amount of liquid after grating. Let it drain for 15 minutes and press only lightly: the aim is to remove free water, not to wring the shreds dry. The mixture should remain moist enough for starch, egg and cream to form a tender interior. Packing it firmly removes large air pockets and helps the finished ring hold together.

The covered 170 °C water bath is intentionally slow. Three hours allows the dense centre to cook without scorching the bacon-lined exterior. The safety check is the coldest central temperature of at least 74 °C, combined with fully tender potato and a firm feel. A 20-minute rest outside the bath then gives the starch and egg network time to settle before unmoulding and slicing.

Success points

Success points

  • Drain only the free potato liquid; wringing the potatoes bone-dry makes the interior heavy and chalky.
  • Overlap the bacon thoroughly so the mould releases cleanly and the potato mixture is contained during the long cook.
  • Maintain the water bath around two-thirds of the mould height and verify 74 °C at the coldest centre before resting.
Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 400 g thin smoked streaky bacon slices, raw cured bacon, for lining — Purchased and edible weight are both 400 g; slices line and overlap in the mould and are eaten.
  • 1500 g potatoes, raw, peeled edible weight, coarsely grated — Peel before weighing; all 1,500 g edible potato enters the mixture after a 15-minute drain.
  • 100 g smoked bacon lardons, raw cured, diced — All retained in the filling.
  • 180 g pitted dried prunes, quartered — All retained.
  • 80 g raisins — All retained.
  • 150 g onion, peeled, finely chopped — Purchased after trimming; all retained.
  • 100 g whole egg without shell, about 2 large eggs — All retained.
  • 150 g crème fraîche, 30% fat — All retained.
  • 30 g plain wheat flour — All retained.
  • 2 g fine salt — All retained; bacon supplies substantial additional sodium.
  • 2 g black pepper, freshly ground — All retained.
Method

Method

Directions

  1. Line the mould. Line a 2 litre chimney mould with the 400 g bacon slices, overlapping them from rim to centre and leaving enough overhang to fold across the top. Time: 12 minutes. The mould is fully covered by overlapping bacon with no large bare gaps.

  2. Grate and drain the potatoes. Coarsely grate the 1,500 g peeled potatoes, transfer them to a clean cloth or fine colander, and let them drain for 15 minutes before pressing lightly. Time: 15 minutes draining. Removing only free liquid keeps the farcement sliceable without making it dry. The grated potato is still moist but no longer releases a stream of free liquid when lightly pressed.

  3. Mix the filling. Combine the drained potato with lardons, prunes, raisins, onion, eggs, crème fraîche, flour, salt and pepper until evenly distributed. Time: 10 minutes. Fruit, bacon and onion are evenly dispersed and no pockets of dry flour remain.

  4. Fill and close. Pack the potato mixture firmly into the bacon-lined mould, level the surface, fold the bacon overhang across the top and cover the mould tightly. Time: 8 minutes. The filling is compact with no large air pockets and the bacon closes over the exposed surface.

  5. Set the water bath. Heat the oven to 170 °C. Place the covered mould in a deep roasting pan and add hot water until it reaches about two-thirds of the mould height. Time: 5 minutes. Temperature: 170 °C. The water bath moderates the long bake and reduces edge scorching. Move the hot roasting pan with both hands and avoid splashing water into the mould. The mould stands stable and the hot water reaches roughly two-thirds of its height without entering the mould.

  6. Cook slowly. Bake covered in the 170 °C water bath for 180 minutes. Check the water level once and top up with hot water only if it has fallen substantially. Time: 180 minutes. Temperature: 170 °C. The long covered cook allows grated potato to bind with egg and starch while the bacon lines the mould. Verify at least 74 °C in the coldest central part because the raw bacon and dense potato mixture cook together. The coldest part of the centre reaches at least 74 °C, the potato is fully tender, and the farcement feels firm enough to slice after resting.

  7. Rest before unmoulding. Lift the mould out of the water bath with heatproof gloves and rest it on a rack for 20 minutes before loosening and unmoulding. Time: 20 minutes resting. The mould is still hot but the farcement has firmed enough to release as one intact ring.

  8. Slice. Unmould onto a warm platter and cut into eight equal slices with a serrated knife. Time: 5 minutes. Each slice holds its shape and shows tender grated potato, fruit and bacon without loose watery filling.

Practical guidance

Practical

Practical guidance

Serve the farcement warm in eight slices. Its sweet dried fruit and smoky bacon are already integral to the dish, so the plate does not need a separate sweet sauce.

Practical guidance

For make-ahead, cook it fully, cool promptly, refrigerate in shallow portions and reheat covered at 160 °C until each portion reaches 74 °C.

Practical guidance

Store refrigerated at 4 °C or below and use within 3 days. Freezing is possible but can make the grated potato texture slightly more fragile after thawing.

Practical guidance

A central-tube ring mould is a practical equipment adaptation. A plain open casserole is not equivalent because it changes both the shape and the way heat reaches the centre.

Troubleshooting

Farcement breaks on unmoulding — the potato was too wet, the mould was not packed firmly, or the 20-minute rest was skipped.

Troubleshooting

Dense raw-tasting centre — the water bath or oven ran too cool; continue cooking until the potato is tender and the coldest centre reaches 74 °C.

Troubleshooting

Water bath runs dry — add hot water carefully around the mould, never into it, and continue the covered bake.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Serving size1 slice, 1/8 farcement
  • Calories574 kcal
  • Carbohydrate61 g
  • Protein17 g
  • Fat30 g
  • Fibre6 g
  • Sodium1075 mg
Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Allergens: Egg; Milk; Gluten (wheat)

Treat the smoked bacon and lardons as raw cured pork unless their package explicitly states ready-to-eat; prevent contact with ready-to-eat foods and wash hands and tools after handling.

The coldest centre of the assembled farcement must reach at least 74 °C.

Handle the deep pan of hot water conservatively, and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow portions.

FAQ

FAQ

Why is there fruit in a potato dish?

The combination of potato, bacon and dried fruit is part of the documented sweet-and-savoury farcement tradition.

Can the water bath be skipped?

Not in this preparation. The moderated, moist surrounding heat is part of the long covered cooking method and helps protect the exterior.

Closing

Closing

  • Result: an intact bacon-wrapped ring with tender grated potato, visible dried fruit and clean, firm slices.
  • Decisive technique: drain the potato lightly, pack the mould firmly and give the covered water bath the full three hours before the 20-minute rest.
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