ThatDude
Quo Fata Ferunt
SHELL | |
Flour (all purpose) | 2 Cups |
Butter (unsalted) | 12 Tbsp |
Fresh Thyme | 1 Tbsp, chopped |
Ice Water | 5 – 6 Tbsp |
S&P | About ¼ tsp each |
Egg Yolk | 1 |
FILLING | |
Bacon (streaky) | 6 pieces, thick cut, diced |
3 Leeks | 5 Cups, thinly sliced |
Butter | 1 Tbsp |
Heavy Cream | 2/3 Cup |
Milk | 1/3 Cup |
Eggs | 4 whole + 2 yolks |
Flour | 2 Tbsp |
Gruyère | 8oz, grated |
S&P | To taste |
Directions:
Tart Shell: In a food processor, pulse the flour, thyme, salt & pepper to blend thoroughly. Add the butter and egg yolk, and pulse until the butter pieces are about the size of small rice grains (about 10-12 pulses). Add the ice water 1 Tbsp at a time through the feed tube while pulsing until the dough starts coming together. It will still look crumbly, but if you press it with your fingers, it should bind together. Then, turn the dough out onto your work surface and, using your hands, gather and press the dough into a rough ball, kneading lightly while gathering up the stray crumbs.
Make ball into a disc shape, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour to let the flour hydrate and relax. Dough can be made up to 2 days in advance.
-Preheat oven to 450°, put rack in center of oven-
Shell: Place dough on counter 20 minutes prior to rolling to allow it to become more pliable. Roll out on floured work surface enough to cover an 11-inch tart pan. Once rolled out to about 1/8 of an inch thick, drape the dough over your pin and transfer to pan. Push down into the edges, allowing it to drape over, make sure all the edges are in place then roll across the top of the pan to remove excess dough. Dock the dough with a fork and bake for 10 minutes. Check at 10-minute mark, rotate and bake again for 8 minutes. Shell should be light in color and slightly gold on the edges.
-Drop oven to 375° for cooking assembled tarts-
Filling: In a 12-inch skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it’s crisp and golden, about 8-10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a dish and set aside. Discard all but 4 tsps of the rendered bacon fat. Set the skillet over medium-low heat and add the butter then add the leeks. Stir to coat them with the fat, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, 10-15 minutes. Stir the flour into the leeks and cook uncovered, stirring, for about 4 minutes to cook off the raw-flour flavor. Set aside and let cool a bit. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Add the cream, milk, salt & pepper, and whisk until blended. Add the bacon and leeks to the mixture and stir to combine.
Assembly: Sprinkle 2oz cheese into each cooled tart shell and pour in the egg mixture. Spread the leeks evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top. Bake until the custard is set and the top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let the tarts cool on a rack for about 30 minutes before serving.
Goes great with a side salad for a light dinner, or gently warmed for breakfast. Can also be made into small tarts for hors d'oeuvres. ENJOY!
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