Every month for the last year, some friends and I have gathered for a potluck. We usually have a theme such as Italian, Mexican, Greek, etc. This month's theme is Sexual Innuendo. Food that contain sexual connotations in the name or how they are presented. So I decided to go with tarts. By definition tarts are open pastry cases with a filling, OR a prostitute or a promiscuous woman. I thought its fitting.
So I did some research and found some savory tart recipes and came across a recipe for a Leek and Bacon tart. Mmmm.... bacon. It had me at bacon. I shall call it "Desperate Tart." Why? Because every tart craves a little meat in them. Pun intended. =)
To start off, the ingredients...
Eggs, Heavy whipping cream, Leeks, Bacon, Thyme, Garlic, Salt and Pepper, Pie crust, Shredded Cheese
I usually look at a recipe figure out what's in them and then put it together in my own, but the recipe and instructions are posted at the end of this post.
Prepping the crust
The actual recipe calls for a homemade crust, but I do not own a food processor or time to make it from scratch. So I opted for a pre-made pie crust and prepped it as per the directions on the packaging.
Prepping the leeks
Leeks are cheap and good. I often make potato and leek soup. So I'm pretty handy at prepping leeks. I started off with four leeks.
Get rid of all the tough, dark green parts and the roots...
Then slice it lengthwise once, roll it 90 degrees and cut it lengthwise again so you get access to the middle which are full of sand and soil. This makes it easier to wash thoroughly.
Proceed to cutting up the leeks and transfer them to a bowl.
Herbs and spice
Thyme and garlic. The recipe doesn't actually doesn't call for garlic, but I had some handy. I love garlic so I figure I'd include them. Mince them and put aside.
On a side note, cooking for me is very therapeutic. So I had some music going. The Civil Wars. Check them out when you get the chance. You won't be disappointed. Also, I had an open bottle of Texas Hill Country wine laying around so I poured myself a glass.
Bacon
Time to get the bacon going. I used an entire package (1 pound) of bacon for this recipe. I needed to make 2 tarts to have enough for everyone. Slice them up and proceed to render them crispy.
Putting it all together
Set aside some bacon grease in the pan, which you will have plenty of. Thrown in the leeks, thyme and garlic. Season with some salt and pepper and sautee until the leeks are soft.
Since I had some wine around, I used a little to de-glaze the pan and get all the good bits on the bottom.
After the leeks are done, throw the leeks and bacon together in a bowl and add the shredded cheese. The recipe called for Gruyere cheese. I opted of a mix of parmesan, romano, asiago, and two other ones that I can't think of. It came in an 8oz package from the store. Gruyere would have been awesome, except I didn't really want to spend the money on it.
Mix it well and divide the mix into the pie shells.
The Custard
The last part of this dish is the custard mixture. Following the recipe, I started with 4 eggs and mixed it with a pint of heavy cream.
Whisk it all together, season with salt and pepper and divide it between the two pie shells. I ended up buying regular pie shells instead of the deep dish ones, so I had some left overs. If I had to do it again, I'd either buy the deep dish shells or cut the custard recipe by half.
Forgot to take a photo of this step with my camera, but I did post this photo on Instagram...
Place them in a 400 degree oven on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Once done, set aside to cool. Cut em up and enjoy!!
Looking forward to tonight. =)
The Recipe
Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons ice water
Filling
1 pound thickly sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 large leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
8 ounces cave-aged Gruyère cheese, shredded
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1. In a food processor, pulse the 2 1/2 cups of flour with the salt. Add the butter and pulse until it is the size of small peas. Add the egg yolk and ice water and pulse until the pastry is moistened. Turn the pastry out onto a floured work surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until smooth. Pat the pastry into 2 disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°. On a floured surface, roll 1 disk of the pastry to a 12-inch round. Ease the pastry into a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom without stretching. Trim the excess and use it to patch any holes. Refrigerate the tart shell for 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pastry.
3. Line the tart shells with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart shells for 30 minutes, just until dry. Remove the foil and pie weights and bake the crusts for about 15 minutes longer, until they are dry and golden. Transfer the tart pans to 2 sturdy baking sheets.
4. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain the bacon, leaving 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan. Add the leeks and thyme to the skillet, season with salt and white pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Stir in the bacon and cheese.
5. Divide the bacon-and-leek filling between the tart shells. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the egg yolks and heavy cream. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. Pour the custard into the tart shells and bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through for even baking, until puffed and lightly browned. Transfer the quiches to a rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the rings, cut the quiches into wedges and serve.
Make Ahead The quiches can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Reheat the quiches gently before serving.
GZ
