Friday, August 13, 2010

Flammekueche


Let's talk about some typical dishes of where I come from , first of all, my favorite , the Flammekueche :

It’s an Alsatian dish composed of thin bread dough rolled out in a circle or a rectangle, which is covered with crème fraîche, onions, and lardons. It is one of the most famous gastronomical specialties of the region.
Depending on the region, this dish can be called in Alsatian flammekueche, in German Flammkuchen, or in French tarte flambée. There are many variations of the original recipe, in terms both of the dough and of the garniture.
Legend says that the creators of this dish were Alemannic farmers from Alsace, Baden or the Palatinate who used to bake bread once a week. In fact, the tarte was originally a homemade dish which did not make its urban debut until the "pizza craze" of the 1960's. A tarte flambée would be used to test the heat of their wood-fired ovens. At the peak of its temperature, the oven would also have the ideal conditions in which to bake a tarte flambée. The embers would be pushed aside to make room for the tarte in the middle of the oven, and the intense heat would be able to bake it in 1 or 2 minutes. The crust that forms the border of the tarte flambée would be nearly burned by the flames.
The name itself comes from this method of baking, the English translation of the original Alsatian name being "baked in the flames."


And here is the recipe :


Ingredients
Starter for the Dough
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ¼ cup moderately hot water 
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 package yeast
Dough
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup beer
  • 6 tablespoons (¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons) milk
Covering
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 medium onion (3 ounces/85 grams), finely chopped
  • 1 cup crème fraîche
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 pinches nutmeg
  • 3 ounces/ 85 grams bacon, cut into matchsticks
  • grated cheese (optional)
Procedure
  1. Mix the starter ingredients together in a small bowl, cover tightly, and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes.
  2. When the starter is light and bubbly, mix the beer and milk into the mixture.
  3. Put the flour and salt into a food processor (or do it with your hands, as I do), 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.
  4. Process the ball until it is smooth, elastic, and warm, about 45 seconds to 1 minute.
  5. 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.
  6. While the dough is rising, 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.
  7. Combine the crème fraîche, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 
  8. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and fry the bacon until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Remove and drain through a strainer.
  9. Heat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit / 200 degrees celcius.
  10. Oil a baking sheet. Roll the dough until slightly smaller than the baking sheet. Place it on the sheet.
  11. Spread the creme fraiche mixture over the dough, leaving a very small raised rim all the way around, then dot with the bacon and onions (you can also then add grated cheese).
  12. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tart is lightly browned.

2 comments:

  1. This looks so delicious and fresh - gorgeous post :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru
    Latest: Tropical Caramelised German Baked Pancake

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nothing to add besides... 'nom nom' x)

    ReplyDelete

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