or called
Tarte flambee
Flammekueche is an Alsatian dish of onions, bacon, a little Alsatian wine, cream fraiche, fromage blanc, gruyere cheese on a crust (I have seen it on pizza dough as well.)
Fromage blanc: http://www.vermontcreamery.com/fromage-blanc-1 (if you would rather purchase the exact ingredients that is used in Flammekueche.
As a teenager I went with my grandparents, my mother, my brother and cousins to a Bastille Day, July 14th, gathering in the center of one of the villages. In the center of the area was a raised dance floor with people dancing to traditional music such marches, polka's and waltz's such as Coteaux D'Alsace and Plaisirs Montagnards. Lights hung across the court yard as tables and chairs were filled with laughing, chatting and singing people and children surrounded the stage of dancers. French flags large and small were everywhere. Large platters of Flammekueche or Tarte Flambee were brought out to the revelers to indulge in along with bottles of Alsatian wine.
I have wonderful memories of my grandfather dancing with me, as well my mothers cousin Jean Pierre, and yes my grandmother as well as mother because back then, I don't know about now, women also danced with each other.. maybe because the husbands got tired of dancing :o)
Part of my reason for starting this blog is to continue those memories of my families Alsatian heritage. Most of the recipes I know from my grandmother and my great grandmother are verbal recipes that have been shared and taught over generations. By figuring out the exact recipes and making them available here will help my own daughters and my cousins children to continue on the recipes of our mothers and fathers, if they wish to try them.
My record (I now have it on cd as you can't get it any more)
This is my recipe for Flammekueche also known as Tarte Flambee
Set oven to 475 degrees 15 minutes before cooking your dish (very hot oven)
You will need for this dish: flour, salt, pepper, vegetable oil, water, gruyere cheese, bacon, cream cheese, cream fraiche (substitutes can be sour cream or greek yogurt), white wine, nutmeg and cornstarch, a cookie sheet, a rolling pin
This dish has 3 parts that you assemble (similar to making a pizza). You make the crust, you make a sauce - in this case a white cheese sauce and then the fixings on top which are bacon, onion and then cheese. My family loves this (it's really good cold too - great for going to an outside concert in the park - don't forget your bottle of Alsatian wine!)
Crust:
1-3/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose
flour
a good pinch of
salt
1/4 cup
vegetable oil
about 4 ounces of warm water (not hot) you may need a little more or a little less depending on how your dough is handling the weather.
Take the
flour, salt and
oil and fold it in on itself (as you do with noodle dough)
add
2 ounces of the warm water (mix and see if starts sticking together...
add more water a little at a time (I usually end up use the full 4 ounces of water), until you can have it stick together similar to the picture below then put the dough in plastic and set aside on counter while you prepare the toppings (It will look similar to a pie crust but have streaks of the oil in the dough.
( please note this picture of a pie crust is taken from Valerie's kitchen).
Onion and bacon topping:
1 large onion sliced thin (I use Vadalia onions for it's mildness but you can use what ever you have available or like)
9 ounces sliced bacon 1/4 to 1/2 inch (no perfection needed here - it's family food, let it be easy)
1/4 cup white wine
a couple grinds of
pepper
put the bacon on a medium heat for a few minutes then add your onions and stir
Saute until the onions are a just tender and the bacon is cooked 1/2 way* Add the wine and cook until the wine is absorbed, sprinkle with pepper and mix - put aside.
for the cream base that will be put on the crust:
in a small bowl:
1/4 cup
cream cheese (or fromage blanc)
4 Tablespoons
creme fraiche ( if water is on top of your creme fraiche - drain it) some people use sour cream as a substitute for creme fraiche - also greek yogurt.
a small pinch of
nutmeg
2 Tablespoons
cornstarch
mix well. put aside
To assemble your flammekueche:
1. Unwrap you dough and place it on a lightly floured surface, top your dough with a light dusting of flour. (I also rub flour on my rolling pin so that the dough does not stick to it. you will find this dough very pliable.) roll your dough to the size of your pan.
2. Drape your dough onto your rolling pin and gently unroll your dough onto a cookie sheet
3. Top your dough with the creme fraiche/cream cheese mixture and spread with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon. Leave a 1/2 inch of the outer dough free just as you would a pizza
3. spread out the bacon/onion mixture over the cream fraiche/cream cheese mixture
4. shred
2 to 3 ounces of gruyere cheese over the bacon/onion mixture
5. sprinkle with a couple turns of pepper -
6. bake at 475 degrees (yes it is hot)
7. bake about 10 minutes or until you feel it is ready.. remember it's a hot oven and the dish needs to be watched.
I like sprinkling a small pinch of kosher salt or fluer de sel over the dish before serving but taste it first to see if it is already seasoned enough to your liking.
of people dancing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsslii5VC9Q
