I recently came across a recipe from The New York Times for a Leek Tart that I knew I had to try, even though I usually stick with sweet baked goods. I love leeks and leek confit. And a good savory tart.
The crust for this tart is easy to put together -- you just mix flour, salt, chilled cubed butter, and ice water in the food processor. You knead the dough until it comes together, form it into a disc, and chill it before rolling it out and lining a tart pan. This dough was lovely and rolled out easy and quickly without stretching or tearing; the crust was even and pristine. I put crust in the fridge to chill while I made the tart filling.
The filling requires only a few ingredients. First you make the leek confit by cooking chopped leeks with salt and pepper in butter until soft. Then you combine the confit with some eggs, cream, shredded Gruyère, and chopped unsmoked ham. You pour the filling into the unbaked crust; top it with more shredded cheese, ham, and black pepper; and bake until golden.
I love the dramatic dark color of the top of the baked tart. I was unsure how the crust would come out since it's not blind baked, but it was cooked through. In the tart pictured above the bottom crust was a little light, but I got a deeper golden color in a subsequent attempt by baking the tart directly on top of a preheated baking stone. The crust released so easily and cleanly from the pan that the not a single crumb was left behind; the tart tin looked like it hadn't even been used after I removed the tart. The tart sliced neatly and each slice held it shape.
I loved this tart. It's flavorful and showcases the mild flavor of the leeks, with the ham providing a nice salty counterpoint. I made this tart twice, once with prosciutto and once with jamon serrano. I preferred the latter but both were delicious and I think it's good to be generous with the ham (although you have to be careful about not crossing the line to making the tart too salty). I used Gruyère 1655 and the cheese was perfect with the leeks.
The tart was not very cheesy or eggy -- there was just enough cheese, eggs, and cream to bind the filling together, but the leeks and ham were really the focus. Not that there's anything objectionable about leeks with lots of cheese and eggs and cream -- although if you are looking for something along those lines, I would recommend this Belgian Leek Tart or this Bacon and Leek Quiche. This tart is more straightforward but the simple flavors are really something to savor.
Recipe: "Flamiche Aux Poireaux (Leek Tart)" from The New York Times.
Previous Posts:
The crust for this tart is easy to put together -- you just mix flour, salt, chilled cubed butter, and ice water in the food processor. You knead the dough until it comes together, form it into a disc, and chill it before rolling it out and lining a tart pan. This dough was lovely and rolled out easy and quickly without stretching or tearing; the crust was even and pristine. I put crust in the fridge to chill while I made the tart filling.
The filling requires only a few ingredients. First you make the leek confit by cooking chopped leeks with salt and pepper in butter until soft. Then you combine the confit with some eggs, cream, shredded Gruyère, and chopped unsmoked ham. You pour the filling into the unbaked crust; top it with more shredded cheese, ham, and black pepper; and bake until golden.
The tart was not very cheesy or eggy -- there was just enough cheese, eggs, and cream to bind the filling together, but the leeks and ham were really the focus. Not that there's anything objectionable about leeks with lots of cheese and eggs and cream -- although if you are looking for something along those lines, I would recommend this Belgian Leek Tart or this Bacon and Leek Quiche. This tart is more straightforward but the simple flavors are really something to savor.
Recipe: "Flamiche Aux Poireaux (Leek Tart)" from The New York Times.
Previous Posts:
- "Starch-on-Starch Is Doubly Delicious: Savory Potato Tart," November 22, 2014.
- "Share Some, Save Some: Bacon and Leek Quiche," May 15, 2014.
- "Another Day, Another Tart (or Two): Butternut Squash Tart and Belgian Leek Tart," November 21, 2012.
- "Dorie, Don't Let Me Down: Gérard's Mustard Tart," October 26, 2012.
- "It Tastes Like Summer!: Tomato Confit and Marinated Tomatoes Served on a Crispy Tart," June 30, 2011.
- "What I Learned at the Cabin This Year... Butternut Squash Tart = Good. Candles + Soufflé = Bad," November 9, 2009.
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