I was shopping for some ready made puff pastry in the local French supermarket the other day and spotted this pack which was oblong not circular. It was the first time I had seen anything other than circular puff pastry in France. When I got it home I noticed an interesting “serving suggestion” on the wrapper.
It looked very much like a tarte flambée, or flammekueche, and it gave me an idea for lunch.
An authentic flammekueche, from the Alsace region of France, would have a bread dough as the base. In actual fact the last time I made it the recipe required pizza dough. The idea of using puff pastry was much easier and quicker and when baked it was nice and light. I would definitely do it this way again.
You simply spread a mixture of crème fraîche and cream cheese over the base, add fried onions and lardons and bake. I also added a few strips of Cantal cheese, just because it was in the fridge needing to be used up.
1 pack of puff pastry, circular or oblong
1 small pack of lardons or a few rashers of thick smoked bacon, chopped
1 large onion
1 tblsp crème fraîche
1 tblsp cream cheese
oil for frying
a few slices of Cantal, Camembert, Brie, or other cheese (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180° fan / gas mk 7. Line a baking sheet with baking paper (I used the wrapping from the pack of pastry).
Unroll the pastry onto the baking sheet and score a line with a sharp knife around the edge. Be careful not to go all the way through the pastry and make the line about 2cm from the outer edge.
Mix together the crème fraîche and cream cheese and spread evenly over the pastry within the scored margin.
Peel and thinly slice the onion and fry gently in a little oil until translucent, not too browned. Scatter the onion over the pastry along with the lardons or bacon. Add a few slices of cheese if using.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately.
Serves 2 as a decent lunch, 4 as a snack, or many more if cut into thinner strips with apéros.
I do love ready rolled puff pastry for its incredible useability (if that's a word) and that you can make stuff look really chic and as though it took forever... this tarte really looks like a wonderful and very flavourful meal... lovely stuff x
ReplyDeleteThis is just a perfect lunch - at least, it is for me. It looks so inviting. I've definitely eaten a flammekueche style tart in the past, cooked by someone from Alsace, which was based on puff pastry, so I don't think you've broken too may Alsace cooking rules. I think I'd definitely be tempted to add the cheese because I just love Cantal, Camembert and Brie.
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious and straightforward. I'm going to experiment with some different fillings for aperos.
ReplyDeleteGaynor, make it at the last minute before guests arrive. It's not so good a few hours after it's cooked; best served soon after it comes out of the oven. You can always have the pastry and fillings ready to construct and bake when it's almost time for people to arrive.
DeleteI think I'll try this tomorrow...
ReplyDeletebut, as I have some chevre blanc from doing Ken's Zuccini boats [using ...
wait for it...
YELLOW CROOKNECKS...
wotasurprize!]...
I'll use that instead of cremefrommidge...
everything else is to hand...
but it'll be rond not carre!
And it was yummy...
ReplyDeletewe've just finished it!!
And Pauline has just said "And not a courgette in sight!!"
The chevre blanc worked very well... I think that and créme fraiche are the base for our boulangerie's Chevre feuiletté!!
I used some old Fournols, leftover Cantal and a couple of slices of Limouzin Freres moyen log.
This contains everything I adore - I'm drooling!
ReplyDelete