Tarte Flambée Food

TARTE FLAMBEE (ALSATIAN BACON & ONION TART)

Steps:

• Place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until cooked but not crisp and fat has rendered out, about 8 minutes. Drain in a strainer; reserve the fat.
• Place skillet back over medium heat. Add sliced onions. Cook briefly just until they lose their raw edge and soften up slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Add a teaspoon or 2 of bacon fat if pan seems too dry. Remove skillet from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Mix fromage blanc, creme fraiche, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a mixing bowl.
• Place 1 ball of pizza dough on a well-floured surface. Flatten and roll out to a 10- or 12-inch thin circle. Transfer to a cold cast iron pan. Heat over medium-high heat to pre-cook the bottom of the crust. As dough heats and bubbles appear, deflate them with the tines of a fork so crust ends up thin and crisp (not chewy). When bottom is nicely browned and just about to start getting charred, 5 to 7 minutes, remove from heat. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Spread a generous amount of cheese mixture over the crust. Top evenly with some onions and then the bacon. Broil 5 or 6 minutes until edges are browned and starting to lift. Repeat for remaining tartes.

TARTE FLAMBEE

Steps:

• Put a pizza stone on a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 550 degrees F and let the stone heat at that temperature for 10 minutes.
• Stir the creme fraiche, nutmeg and egg yolk together in a small bowl with a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Put the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the fat has rendered and the bacon is just starting to crisp, about 7 minutes. Carefully drain off most of the fat, then add the leeks. Cook, stirring, until the leeks just start to wilt, about 3 minutes.
• Divide the pizza dough in half and lay on a lightly floured work surface. Roll and stretch one piece of dough into a very thin, organic shape (1/8 to 1/4 inch thick). Put the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Spread half of the creme fraiche mixture evenly on top, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Top with half of the bacon and leeks, then top with half the Gruyere. Put the pizza and parchment on a flat baking sheet or pizza peel and transfer to the pizza stone; bake until the crust is golden brown and charred in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings. Cut into pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.

FLAMMKUCHEN (TARTE FLAMBEE)

Steps:

• Place 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons of flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add yeast, 3 to 4 tablespoons of the lukewarm water, and sugar into the well and stir in a small amount of flour from the sides. Set aside until mixture is frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Pour in remaining water and olive oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until everything is well combined. Add 1 teaspoon salt and knead vigorously with your hands until dough holds together as a ball.
• Loosely cover dough with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm, dry place until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare the topping while dough rises. Stir 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and sour cream in a bowl until smooth; season with salt, pepper, and parsley.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll out 2 pieces as thinly as possible into long rectangles on a large piece of parchment, so both will fit on one baking sheet. Fold the sides of the dough pieces to form a 1/4-inch edge all around. Spread cream topping evenly across the dough and top each dough piece with 1/4 of the bacon and the onion rings. Transfer the 2 flammkuchen with the parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Repeat with the other 2 dough pieces.

TARTE FLAMBéE

Steps:

• If you have a pizza stone, place it on the middle rack of your oven, top with a baking sheet, and heat the oven to 425 degrees. (If you don't have a stone, just place the baking sheet on the oven rack).
• In a medium bowl, combine crème fraîche, fromage blanc, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Set aside while you make the dough.
• In a separate medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, whisk to combine olive oil, egg yolk and 1/4 cup water. Add to dry ingredients and use a fork to combine until it creates a shaggy dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 1 minute, until the dough is uniform and elastic. (Flour your hands as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.) Roll out to a 12-inch round, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet without a rim (or use an overturned rimmed baking pan).
• Spread fromage blanc mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the edges. Sprinkle bacon and onions over fromage blanc. Slide tart, still on parchment paper, off baking sheet and directly onto baking sheet in oven.
• Bake until top is beginning to brown, and sides are golden and crispy, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and slide off parchment paper to serving platter. Serve warm.

TARTE FLAMBéE

Steps:

• Place a cookie sheet upside down on the middle rack in the oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Cube the bacon and cook until done. Reserve some of the bacon grease to cook the sliced onions per medium heat. Continue cooking until onions are caramelised, about 10 minutes.
• Take a portion of dough and roll it out as thin as possible on parchment paper. Slide this onto the back of another cookie sheet. This will make it easier to slide the pizza in the oven.
• Top the dough with creme fraiche, bacon, caramelised onions and aruluga (or spinach).
• Carefully slide the pizza (and parchment paper) onto the hot cookie sheet in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes or until done.

TARTE FLAMBéE

Steps:

• To make the dough, mix the flour and salt together in a bowl, then add the water and oil and bring together to make a dough. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead well. Roll the dough into two thin rectangles, each measuring around 25cmx28cm/10inx11in.
• To make the topping, dry fry the bacon lardons in a frying pan until the fat renders out and they are golden-brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
• Preheat the oven to 230C/210C Fan/Gas 8 and line two large flat baking trays with baking paper. Place the dough rectangles on the trays.
• Spread the crème fraîche over the dough leaving a little border around the edges. Scatter over the onion, dot with the lardons and sprinkle liberally with Emmental. Season with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the base is crisp and the cheese is bubbling. Slide the tarts onto a wooden board and use a pizza cutter to cut them into portions. Serve immediately with drinks or as a light lunch with a green salad.

TARTE FLAMBEE

Steps:

• For the dough: Activate the yeast by combining the lukewarm water, yeast and sugar. Stir together and let sit until the mixture becomes frothy and foamy and smells very yeasty, about 10 minutes.
• Put the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add the olive oil, salt and the activated yeast mixture. Stir until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
• Dust a clean work surface with flour and knead the dough until it is tight and firm, 5 to 7 minutes. Place the dough back in the mixing bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• For the topping: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the bacon in a large, wide pan and give it a couple drops of olive oil. Bring the pan to a medium heat and cook the bacon until it is brown and crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and reserve on paper towels.
• Add the onions to the pan, season with salt, cover and cook until the onions have wilted and are very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook the onions until they are very soft and caramelized. This will take awhile, maybe up to 45 minutes. Stir the onions occasionally paying attention not to let them burn, but don't rush it! When the onions are really brown and sweet, remove them from the heat and reserve.
• Combine the creme fraiche and fromage blanc.
• Divide the dough into 4 even balls and roll them out until they are 1/8 to 1/16-inch thick. Place them on a sheet tray and bake them in the oven for 4 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the oven. Schmear each dough evenly with the cheese mixture, place an even layer of the caramelized onions on the cheese and sprinkle the bacon on top of the onions.
• Return the dough to the oven until the dough is crisp on the bottom and the toppings are bubbly, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

TARTE FLAMBEE

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk yeast and sugar into warm water to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough is formed. Knead on a lightly floured work surface until dough is slightly tacky. Be careful not to incorporate too much flour while kneading.
• Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Place a pizza stone on floor of a gas oven (remove racks) or bottom rack of an electric oven. Preheat oven to 475 degrees for at least 45 minutes.
• Make the topping: Place bacon in a medium skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until lightly browned and crispy, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
• Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat and place skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 12 minutes. Remove onions from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a small bowl, mix together creme fraiche, egg, and coriander; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Punch down dough to deflate; divide into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time (keeping remaining dough pieces lightly covered with plastic), roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle about 10 inches by 8 inches, stretching with fingers if necessary. Using a pizza cutter trim a scant 1/8 inch from edges to make even.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet. Using an offset spatula, spread one-quarter of the creme fraiche mixture evenly over dough, spreading as close to the edge as possible. Top with one-quarter of the bacon, onions, cheese, and thyme.
• Gently shake pizza on peel to ensure that pizza will slide easily onto pizza stone. Open oven door and align the front of the peel with the back of the stone; swiftly jerk peel backward to release pizza onto one side of the stone. Bake, rotating with a large spatula halfway through, until crust is crispy and golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove pizza from oven and top with additional creme fraiche and thyme leaves. Repeat process with remaining pieces of dough. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

TARTE FLAMBéE (FRENCH) OR FLAMMEKUECHE (GERMAN)

Steps:

• Dough:.
• Mix the starter ingredients together in a small bowl, cover tightly, and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes.
• When the starter is light and bubbly, mix the beer and milk into the mixture.
• Put the flour and salt into a food processor, then, with the motor running, add the yeast mixture through the feeding tube. Process the dough until it forms a ball. Add very small amounts of additional flour or milk if necessary.
• Process the ball until it is smooth, elastic, and warm, about 45 seconds to 1 minute.
• Butter a medium-sized bowl, roll the ball around in the butter, then cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. Punch down and let rise a second time.
• Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Oil a 14 x 16 inch baking sheet. Roll the dough until slightly smaller than the baking sheet. Place it on the sheet.
• Alsatian Tarte Flambee:.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
• Combine the crème fraîche, fromage blanc, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooled onion.
• Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and fry the bacon until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Remove and drain through a strainer.
• Spread the onion mixture over the dough, leaving a very small raised rim all the way around, then dot with the bacon.
• Baking:.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tart is lightly browned.
• Variation - Arugula Tarte Flambee:.
• Instead of preparing the traditional Alsatian topping, proceed with baking the crust. Once the crust is baked, toss 2-3 handfuls of arugula with lemon vinaigrette. Top with shaved gruyere, olives and tomato.