Two things appeared concurrently on my kitchen table: a heap of leeks from the garden and a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Child, Bertholle, and Beck; 1966), a cookbook I’ve never owned before. (The neighbor who brought the book over had no way of knowing that I am gradually divesting myself of cookbooks!) It seemed pre-ordained—I would cook a leek recipe from Julia Child’s selection.
Leek and potato soup (Vichyssoise) I adore, but I did not need a new recipe for this cold soup. Leek gratin with cheese sauce didn’t excite me—sort of old-fashioned. A cold dish, leeks à la Grecque was enticing. But a leek tart it would be, a recipe special enough for my lovely leeks.
My version is an adaptation of Julia’s recipe—I don’t use butter in my kitchen, only extra virgin olive oil. I used a cured sheep’s milk cheese such as Manchego instead of “Swiss” and I opted for seasoning with thyme and pimentón instead of classic nutmeg.
In Julia's cookbook, the quiche is called “flamiche,” which, apparently, means “cake” in Flemish. That translates to “torta” in Spanish. In English, I suppose we would call it a tart or quiche.
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| Leek tart makes a gorgeous starter or luncheon dish. |
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| Bacon scattered on top is optional. |
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| Serve the quiche with salad greens. |
Leek Tart (Flamiche or Quiche)
Torta de Puerros
Store-bought refrigerated pie crust dough is a useful ingredient—no rolling needed, just fit it in your pie pan. Where I shop there was, in addition to refrigerated pizza dough, phyllo, and hojaldre (puff pastry), only one pie crust dough, called pasta quebrada, flaky pastry; or masa brisa, Spanish for brisée dough (they are the same thing). According to the label, it was not made with butter nor lard, but palm oil. If you prefer to make your own pastry crust, see the links below for olive oil pastry dough.
If possible use a round tart pan with removable sides, 8, 9, or 10-inch. (If you have too much filling for the smallest pan, bake the extra in a muffin cup.) Bake the crust blind before filling it so that the liquid filling doesn’t make the dough soggy. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any possible leaks.
Serves 4 as a luncheon dish or 8 as a starter.
Pie crust dough
1 pound cleaned and sliced leeks (4 cups)
1 onion, quartered and sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil + more to drizzle on top
2 ounces chopped bacon (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup water + additional if needed
3 eggs
1 ½ cups cream and/or evaporated milk
2 ounces grated cheese (¾ cup)
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of thyme
Pinch of pimentón picante (hot paprika) or cayenne
Line a 9-inch tart pan with the pie dough. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Place a round of baking parchment on the dough and fill with pie weights. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Bake the pie crust 10 minutes and remove. Remove weights and discard parchment. Lower oven to 375ºF.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan with the bacon. Fry the bacon until crisp. Skim it out and reserve. Add the leeks and onions to the pan with remaining fat. Sauté them on medium heat 4 minutes. Add the salt and water. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Add additional water if needed. Remove the lid and raise heat to cook off any remaining water. Cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl beat together the eggs and cream. Stir in half of the cheese and half of the bacon, reserving the remainder for the top of the quiche. Add the leeks. Season with pepper, thyme, pimentón, and salt, if needed. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Spread remaining cheese on top and scatter remaining bacon. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
Bake the quiche until set, when a thin skewer comes out clean, and golden on top, 30-35 minutes. Cool on a rack 10 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Slide the quiche off the bottom disk onto a serving plate or, alternatively, place it on a cutting board and slice into servings. The quiche can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.
Recipes for pastry dough made with olive oil:
More recipes with leeks:
This leek and potato soup, porrusalda, is Basque, not French. The recipe is here.
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