Alsatian Onion And Bacon Tartlets Recipes

ALSACE ONION TART (TARTE à L'OIGNON)

Steps:

• Blend flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Mix the vinegar and 5 tablespoons of ice water together and drizzle evenly over the flour mixture and gently stir with a fork
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, ½ tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface. Gather dough together with pastry scraper and press into a ball, and then flatten into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 15-inch round and fit into a 11″ tart pan, lifting and gently pressing into the pan. Trim excess dough, leaving a ½-inch overhang, then fold overhang over pastry and press against side to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom with a fork and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. (If using a tart pan with a revomable bottom place the pan on a baking sheet when putting it into the oven).
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Line chilled shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until pastry is set and pale golden along rim, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until golden all over, 10 to 15 minutes more. Transfer baked shell to a rack to cool. (Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees)
• Place the bacon into a cold skillet, and cook over medium heat until browned. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on paper towels, reserve 4 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
• Add sliced onions to the skillet with the reserved bacon fat and cook onions with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper over moderate heat, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Cover skillet with a lid and continue to cook, stirring frequently until onions are very soft and pale golden, about 20 minutes. Stir in bacon, then remove from heat and cool completely.
• Whisk together the cream, eggs and yolks, nutmeg, thyme, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, then stir in onions.
• Pour filling into tart shell, spreading onions evenly, sprinkle ½ cup of grated Gruyere cheese evenly over the top and bake until filling is set and top is golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature

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.

ALSACE ONION TART

Steps:

• Make pastry:
• Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 4 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 equal portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion. Gather dough together with pastry scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round and fit into tart pan. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang over pastry and press against side to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom with a fork and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Line chilled shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until pastry is set and pale golden along rim, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until golden all over, 10 to 15 minutes more. Transfer shell to a rack. (Leave oven on.)
• Prepare filling while shell bakes:
• Cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain and pour off bacon fat. Add butter to skillet and cook onions with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper over moderate heat, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Cover surface of onions with a round of parchment or wax paper (or cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid) and continue to cook, lifting parchment to stir frequently, until onions are very soft and pale golden, about 20 minutes. Stir in bacon, then remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.
• Whisk together crème fraîche, eggs, nutmeg, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, then stir in onions.
• Fill and bake tart:
• Pour filling into tart shell, spreading onions evenly, and bake until filling is set and top is golden, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BACON, ONION AND CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• In a medium saute pan, cook the bacon over a medium-low heat until it begins to render, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper. Set aside to let cool. Add the thyme to the cooled bacon-onion mixture.
• In a bowl, combine the farmer's cheese, creme fraiche, egg yolk and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Flour a flat surface and place the puff pastry on top. Flour the top and gently roll into a 13-by-18-inch rectangle. Cut the pastry in half and transfer each to a lined sheet pan. Using a fork, dock the puff pastry (pierce it slightly with the tines), leaving a 1-inch border untouched.
• Divide the cheese mixture between the two sheets of pastry and spread evenly on the docked area. Top each tart with half of the bacon-onion mixture.
• Place the tarts in the oven on the lower racks and bake, rotating halfway through, until the crusts are dark golden, about 25 minutes. Garnish with the pecorino and chives.

ALSATIAN TART

Steps:

• Pastry dough can be purchased in either your supermarket in the freezer section, or in a bakery which makes their own.
• Defrost pastry dough; roll out on lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Cut out 4 circles (using a 7" diameter salad or cake plate as a template).
• Prick dough with fork and refrigerate while preparing the filling.
• Cook bacon; drain and crumble; set aside.
• In one tablespoon of canola oil, saute sliced onion until golden.
• In a mixing bowl, combine cheese, creme fraiche, flour, salt and pepper and mix by hand until combined thoroughly.
• Remove pastry rounds from refrigerator, spread each round with cheese mixture.
• Sprinkle top with sauteed onions and arrange crumbled bacon.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Bake 15 minutes until done.
• Very rich and filling served with a salad and a glass of white wine.

ONION AND BACON TART

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup warm water, and 1 teaspoon yeast in large bowl; stir to blend well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand until mixture bubbles, about 30 minutes. Stir in salt, then 1 1/4 cups flour. Mix until soft slightly sticky dough forms, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if very sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly flour 2 large baking sheets. Lightly flour hands; punch down dough and divide in half. Roll out each half on lightly floured surface to thin 16x10-inch rectangle. Transfer each rectangle to prepared baking sheet. If dough shrinks, roll or stretch each back to size. Puree crème fraîche, cottage cheese, and sour cream in processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread cream mixture over crusts. Sprinkle onions and raw bacon over cream mixture, dividing equally. Bake tarts until edges of crusts are crisp and brown, about 14 minutes. Sprinkle generously with pepper; cut into pieces and serve.
• *Sold at some supermarkets. If unavailable, heat 1 cup whipping cream to lukewarm (85°F). Remove from heat and mix in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover and let stand in warm, draft-free area until slightly thickened, 24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room. Refrigerate until ready to use.

ALSATIAN ONION AND BACON TARTLETS

Steps:

• Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons water and process using on/off turns until mixture forms moist clumps, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball. Shape into log. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut dough crosswise into 12 equal slices. Roll out each slice on lightly floured surface to 6-inch round. Transfer each round to 4-inch-diameter tartlet pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Trim off excess dough. Pierce bottom with fork. Refrigerate 10 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Sauté bacon in large pot over medium heat until brown, about 9 minutes. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from bacon. Add onions to bacon and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Cool.
• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir 2 minutes (do not brown). Gradually whisk in milk. Increase heat to medium-high and boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Whisk yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot sauce. Mix in onion mixture, salt, pepper and nutmeg. (Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and chill.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tartlets on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, pressing bottom and sides with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 18 minutes. Cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Spoon filling (about 1/4 cup) into each tartlet. Bake until tops begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tartlets to racks and cool slightly. Remove from pans. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.