Flamiche

Name: Flamiche
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 75g Butter; 1kg Leek; ½ tsp Salt; 300ml Creme Fraiche; 1 Egg; 3 Egg Yolks; ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg; 225g Plain Flour; 60g Lard; 50g Cheddar Cheese; 2 tbs Water

Download

Copy link

Serves 6 614 kcal per serving Prep 20 min Cook 50 min Passive 1 h

Ingredients

75g Butter
1kg Leek
½ tsp Salt
300ml Creme Fraiche
1 Egg
3 Egg Yolks
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
225g Plain Flour
60g Lard
50g Cheddar Cheese
2 tbs Water

Instructions

To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a food processor. Add the butter and lard and pulse briefly until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Tip into a bowl, stir in the Cheddar and add enough water for the dough to come together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Roll out thinly and line a 23 cm x 4 cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin. Prick the base and chill for 20 minutes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the leeks and salt, cover and cook for about 10 minutes until soft. Uncover, increase the heat and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring, until excess moisture evaporates. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas mark 6. Line the pastry case with baking paper and baking beans or rice and blind bake for 15–20 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Remove the paper and beans, return to the oven for 7–10 minutes until the base is crisp. Remove and reduce the oven temperature to 190°C / 170°C fan / Gas mark 5.
In a bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the whole egg, egg yolks and nutmeg. Beat lightly and season. Stir in the cooled leeks.
Spoon the filling into the pastry case and bake for 35–40 minutes until set and lightly golden. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and serving.

Tips

Sweat the leeks slowly in plenty of butter without browning them to keep their flavor delicate and sweet.
Use a high-quality shortcrust or puff pastry for the base to support the rich, creamy leek custard.
If the leeks are very watery after cooking, drain them in a sieve before adding them to the egg and cream mixture.

Variations

Bacon Flamiche: Add lardons or smoked bacon bits to the leek mixture for a savory, salty kick.
Cheese Flamiche: Stir in some grated Maroilles cheese (traditional to Northern France) for a pungent and authentic flavor.