Stage 15 | Champagnole → Plateau de Solaison
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Croziflette, mountains, and still blaming Tom Pidcock
We’re still blaming Tom Pidcock.
The plan had been to post throughout Le Tour, celebrate the craftsmanship of the race and quietly remind everyone that we’re offering free yellow hand stitching on our belts and leather apron straps.
Instead, we spent the first half of the race doing what millions of cycling fans have been doing…
…watching.
So we’re making up for lost time.
From today until Paris, we’re travelling the route through food, craft and the traditions that make each region special.
Yesterday belonged to Pogačar again, while Pidcock slipped back to 9th, but he’s still in the top 10 — which is excuse enough for us to keep going.
Today’s stage rolls from Champagnole to Plateau de Solaison, crossing from the Jura towards Haute-Savoie, and the road heads firmly for the mountains.
So today’s dish had to be Croziflette.
Today’s Ride
From the forests of the Jura to the climbs of Haute-Savoie, today’s road heads for the mountains.
This is a proper mountain stage. Long day, proper climbing, and a hard finish up to Plateau de Solaison.
The sort of stage that asks serious questions.
And the sort of stage that needs proper food at the end of it.
Today’s Kitchen
Forget anything delicate.
Today calls for Croziflette — one of those mountain dishes that feels exactly right when the road starts to point upwards.
Think crozets — those small square Alpine pasta pieces from Savoie — baked with onion, lardons, crème fraîche and Reblochon until bubbling and golden.
It’s rich, comforting and absolutely unapologetic.
Proper food. Proper ride.
Stage 15 Recipe | Croziflette
Ingredients
Serves 2–3
- 200g crozets
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 150g lardons or smoked bacon, diced
- 150ml dry white wine
- 200ml crème fraîche
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 150g Reblochon cheese
- Black pepper
Method
Cook the crozets in salted water until tender, then drain.
Fry the lardons until crisp. Add the sliced onion and cook until soft. Pour in the white wine and let it reduce down.
Stir in the crème fraîche and the grated garlic. Add the crozets and mix well.
Tip into an ovenproof dish and top with slices of Reblochon, rind on.
Bake until golden, bubbling and properly irresistible.
Finish with black pepper and serve straight from the dish.
Why this dish?
One of the joys of the Tour is that every region carries its own traditions with it.
Sometimes we’ll take inspiration from brilliant cooks such as @jhbfoodiecyclist.
Sometimes we’ll simply let the road decide.
Today, the road says mountains.
And the mountains say Croziflette.
In the Workshop
Good leather behaves much like good cooking.
Start with proper ingredients.
Don’t rush.
Finish everything by hand.
Pay attention to the details that nobody notices consciously…
…but everybody feels.
That’s why, for the duration of Le Tour, we’re continuing to offer free yellow hand stitching on every handmade belt and leather apron strap.
And while we’re on the subject of Le Tour, we’re already looking forward to seeing our friends on Beefeater Bend for Stage 19.
@tdfbeefeaters IIbeefeaters
Another stage.
Another region.
Another recipe.
Handmade in England. Inspired by the roads of France.