Leek And Cheese Flamiche
Ingredients
450g bread flour
5g dried yeast
2 tsp caster sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
170g softened butter
For greasing: oil
To serve: green salad (optional)
Leek filling
30g butter, coarsely chopped
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
40ml dry white wine
1 egg
1 egg yolk
150g crème fraîche
50g coarsely grated Gruyère
2 tbsp thyme
Cheese filling
1 egg
1 egg yolk
125 ml pouring cream
½ tsp finely grated nutmeg
180g washed-rind cheese, such as Münster or Pont l’Évêque, rind discarded, coarsely chopped
handful coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
How to make it
This cheese flamiche is a brioche-based tart. It looks a bit like a pizza, but the name is the giveaway – Flamiche means ‘Flemish Cake’, so they’re more cake-y than a traditional flan.
- Combine flour, yeast, sugar and 2 tsp fine salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, add eggs, knead until smooth (3-4 minutes)
- Gradually add butter, kneading continuously until glossy (4-5 minutes)
- Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, stand in a warm place until doubled in size (2-2½ hours)
- 2 Meanwhile, for leek filling, melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat, add leek and stir to coat
- Add wine, season to taste, cover and cook until very tender (15-20 minutes)
- Remove lid and cook until liquid evaporates (4-5 minutes), then cool completely
- Whisk egg, yolk and crème fraîche in a bowl, stir in Gruyère, leek and thyme, season to taste
- Meanwhile, for cheese filling, whisk egg, yolk, cream and nutmeg in a bowl to combine, season to taste, stir in either Münster or Pont l’Évêque cheese and parsley
- Preheat oven to 190°C
- Knock down dough, divide in half, then roll out each piece to a 35cm-diameter round and line two buttered 25cm diameter pie tins, letting dough overhang sides
- Spread leek filling in one tin and cheese filling in the other, fold in edges, pleating as you go, then bake until golden and cooked through (40-45 minutes)
- Serve the cheese flamiche hot with a simple vinaigrette-dressed green salad
Original recipe by Emma Knowles for Gourmet Traveller
