Tarte Flambée (Flammkuche) - Alsatian pizza with smoky bacon and cheese

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Tarte Flambée (Flammkuche) is Alsatian take on pizzza. Wonderfully easy and bacony treat!

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After another delightful day with my gorgeous Gothenburger I grabbed his hand, looked deep into his eyes and (in an apparent attempt at Femme Fatale) whispered in my most soulfully deep voice the following question: "you know what I love?"

He looked back at me, flashing that smile of his that makes me all weak at the knees and answered, in an every bit as seductive voice: "pizza."

Romantic moment. So totally over. 

Though I suppose it won't come as a surprise to anyone who's ever read this blog: I really, truly, madly love pizza (hey - I've even featured a breakfast pizza on the blog!)

But seeing how I still have some issues with cheese (rather essential part of the pizza, non?), I'm particularly fond of different local pizza varieties around the world that don't feature it, such as Turkish lahmacun and pide and Arabic sfiha which is one of my favourite recipes in my new book.

There are some serious treats to be found in Europe, too: Alsace is not just one my favourite wine regions in the world - it's also home to Tarte Flambée which either might or might not have cheese in it. No wonder I'm so into it - the most popular version is laced with bacon. 

And bacon, as we all know, equals love. Oh, it does - ask anyone. 

The lack of cheese won't mean dry, though (as my Italian potato and rosemary pizza shows) - this is something that a generous dollop of crème fraîche takes care of.

Tarte Flambée is something that one doesn't often come across in Finland, but the one they make at Wistub Alsace in Tampere is so good it just might warrant a day trip all on its own. 

And in case you need more inspiration for Tampere, Finland's answer to Gothenburg, just check the blog over here and here.

Depending on the region Tarte Flambée is also known as Flammkuche. Initially it was a rustic fare that the German-speaking farmers would make at home and it only started appearing on restaurant menus during 1960's pizza boom. 

This version is called Gratinée. Other popular versions include Forestière (with mushrooms) and Münster (topped with its namesake cheese), but there's also a sweet dessert version featuring cinnamon, thinly sliced apples and usually a sprinkling of Calvados.

makes 2 large ones or 4 smaller ones 

Tarte Flambée Gratinée - Alsatian pizza with smoky bacon and cheese 

the base:

2,5 tsp dry yeast
1,5 tsp sugar
1,5 dl warm water
1,5 tbsp oil
4 dl flour (00- grade if possible)
1/2 tsp salt

toppings:

150 g tub of crème fraîche
a couple of handfuls of grated cheese (Gruyère is a classic choice)
140 g (smoky) bacon
1 small onion, thinly sliced

To serve: finely chopped chives (optional), freshly ground black pepper

Combine dry yeast, water and sugar and leave aside, covered for 5 minutes while the yeast activates. 

Then add oil, flour (and along with the last dl of flour) salt. Knead into a smooth dough. Cover with cling film and leave to double in size in a warm place for an hour. 

Pre-heat the oven to 250ºc  at this point (in a fan assisted oven 230 should do). If you have a pizza stone, leave in in the oven. If not, then do the same with the tray.

Cut the bacon into strips of desired size and cook in a pan over medium heat until they start to get crunchy. Remove from the pan (using a slotted spoon) and transer aside. 

Divide the dough into 2 or 4 balls. Roll each out into a thin disc. You shouldn't need any more flour at this point, so it's easiest to do this on a parchment, which in turn makes it easy to flip it over onto hot tray. 

Pre-bake the base for about 4 minutes, Smear the base with crème fraîche and sprinkle the grated cheese on top of it. Top with bacon and thinly sliced onion rings and continue cooking until cheese has melted.

Garnish with chives (if using) and black pepper. Serve. 

For more pizza recipes on the blog, just click on the following:

-  breakfast pizza with smoked salmon, spinach, eggs and fool-proof Hollandaise
-  Italian potato and rosemary pizza
- Lebanese lamb pizza
- pide - Turkish pizza

- pizza with Prosciutto, pear and Brie

- pizza with duck confit

- pumpkin and chorizo pizza

Has Tarte Flambée/ Flammkuche stolen your hearts already?

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SHARING IS CARING!

Rustic country style pork terrine - as impressive as it is easy (gluten-free)

Don't let the looks fool you - this rustic country style pork terrine is as easy as it is impressive. Made ahead it is a perfect treat for stress-free Christmas!

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This year Christmas came early. I've been working on a photo shoot for a client, creating recipes for a stress-free Christmas. Stress-free? Christmas? Is that even possible? Yes, it is and for the next week I'll be sharing my tips for it. You just wait and see!

Stress-free is something I've been in a dire need of, too. The book project has taken most of my time and outside it I've been a knackered human wreck. Trust me, I could have used a lot more vicious words, such as ones rhyming with the word itch - my state certainly would have warranted that.

Luckily my friends have seen me through this, too. And actually, gathering them over for trying out the recipes has made me rediscover the joy of cooking all over again. 

Having people I love around my kitchen table has reminded me why I do what I do. Cooking is not just sharing food - it's sharing love. 

And what better way to thank my friends for all their support and patience than to have them over for dinner? 

This time I wanted to focus on enjoying the evening (and yes, a glass or twenty of wine), so everything on the menu was either quick and easy or something that could be made in advance.

Not so surprisingly our Christmas season kicked off in rather Mediterranean spirits. The star of the evening was this rustic pork terrine. It's guaranteed to impress just about anybody, but while you're basking in the glory of their praises, you can also take smug pleasure in being the only one who knows just how easy it actually is. I told you - perfect for stress-free Christmas!

I have a feeling this will become a staple at our picnics next summer, too...

Psst- this also makes for a welcome foodie gift!

Check out the rest of the recipes, too:

Fish and roe terrine
Shrimp with Limoncello mayonnaise and tomato and basil mayonnaise
Lemon and rosemary shortbread biscuits

Serves 8-10 people

Rustic country style pork terrine:

400 g pork neck (or shoulder) 

250 g chicken livers

200 g pork belly (without the rind)

1 egg

3/4 dl port wine/ cognac/ brandy

75 g pistachios

75 g dried cranberries

1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped 

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Also: 2  pckgs (á 180 g) bacon rashers

Pat the chicken livers dry. Cut the pork neck and belly into cubes, discarding any tough fatty pieces. Measure half of the pork into a food processor with all of the livers and the egg. Whizz until smooth. Transfer into another bowl.

Add rest of the meat into the processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Combine with the liver mixture along with rest of the ingredients. Mix well, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 4 hours (or overnight).

Separate the bacon rashers from each other and, holding onto one end, stretch them.

Line the mold (1 litre) with rashers slighty overlapping each other. Cut two of the rashers into half and use those pieces for the end. 

Spoon the terrine mixture into the tin lined with bacon. Fold the rashers over the mixture and cover with a piece of parchment. Wrap the mold with tin foil.

Heat the oven to 170º (in a fan assisted oven 150 will do). Place the mold into an oven proof dish and pour enough boiling water to reach halfway of the mold. 

Cook for 75 minutes, until the terrine starts to come away from the edges of the mold and a skewer inserted into it comes out clean and piping hot. Remove the mold from the water bath and place a weight (such as a couple of tins) on top of it. 

Leave to cool and then transfer into fridge. Leave to set until next day.

Remove the weights, unwrap the foil and carefullyturn it into a serving platter. Serve with cornichons, pearl onions and/or cranberry or blackcurrant jelly.

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

     

SHARING IS CARING!

Salad Nicoise and Meinklang Grüner Veltliner

Summer's here! And with it asparagus! And all the wonderful fresh herbs! And new potatos! We've even booked our days off for summer holiday (though, having only just started our respective new jobs, our budget might only stretch to a last minute deal somewhere in Albania...)

But in the meanwhile there's no reason to celebrate summer with this summer classic from South of France. This version is an ode to all the fresh produce markets are heaving with right now and a slightly better version of the original. Instead of a tinned tuna this uses herb crusted fresh tuna and tomatos, too are elevated to a whole new level by slow-roasting them in the oven. Instead of limp, lifeless, watery haricots verts I used asparagus because... well, why not?

It's roasting of the tomatos that takes up most of the time, but that can well be done the day before. If you live somewhere in the South of Italy (or France...) your tomatos are probably bursting with flavour already as it is, so you can just use them as they are (in which case half of the amount listed below will do).  You could of course just steam the potatos and asparagus, too.

Serves 3-4, as a starter 4-5

Salad Nicoise with herb crusted tuna and slow-roasted tomatos

Slow-roasted tomatos:

500 g cherry tomatos

a couple of tsp oil

1 tbsp thyme leaves

a couple of cloves of garlic

salt, pepper

Roasted new potatos:

500 g new potatos

2 sprigs of rosemary

salt

oil

Roasted asparagus:

bunch of asparagus

oil

salt, pepper

Herb crusted tuna:

350 g piece of fresh tuna loin

salt, pepper

1 heaped dl of chopped fresh herbs (I used a mix of tarragon, thyme and rosemary)

Also:

1 small red onion, cut into thin rings

4 eggs (boiled to the preferred hardness)

handful of olives

a couple of handfuls of basil leaves

Salad dressing:

5 anchovies

1 clove of garlic

the juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 dl oil

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

(salt, white pepper)

In a bowl combine oil, finely chopped garlic and thyme leaves. Cut the tomatos in half and toss in oil. Place on a parchment-lined tray and roast at 125° for 3-3,5 hours (depending on the size). Leave to cool and prep the rest of the salad.

Increase the oven temperature to 225. Brush the potatos and cut in half (if they're bigger, cut in 4). Place in an oven proof dish with rosemary, season with salt and drizzle a couple of glugs of oil on top. Toss together and roast for 30-40 minutes until done (depending on the size), tossing every now and then. About 10 minutes before potatos are done, start roasting the asparagus, too.

Trim the dry stalks, place in another oven-proof dish, drizzle a couple of tbsp oil on top, season with salt and roast for 10-15 minutes (depending on their size). Let potatos and asparagus cool and prep the sauce.

Mix everything together using a small food processor or using a pestle and a mortar, first rub anchovies and garlic clove into a paste. Add lemon juice, stir until smooth and add oil and balsamico. Check the taste and season if needed.

Then prep the tuna. Pat dry, brush with oil, season with salt and pepper and press minced herbs onto the fish. Sear on a hot frying pan for 1/2 min - couple of minutes/ side (depends on the thickness, you want it to remain very rosé in the middle!) and leave to rest for a while. In the meanwhile combine the ingredients for the salad and add dressing. 

Cut tuna into slices of your preferred thickness and add into the salad. Serve.

A classic companion for this classic dish would be a nice little bistro overlooking a marina somewhere in French Riviera and a glass of chilled local rosé. But here's another, not so traditional, but a very nice wine pairing.

Grüner Veltliner is the best known grape in Austria and this biodynamic wine from Meinklang is a great specimen. It's got a great, aromatic fruitiness to it, followed by mineral notes and peppery acidity. So it can take on the tanginess dressing and the acidity of the tomatos and the onion, while balancing the richness of the tuna and eggs.

The herby quality of the wine pairs well with the summery herbs of the dish and this is a particularly great wine  for dishes containing tarragon of basil. 

A great recommendation to summer's picnics and parties - superb value for money and suitable for those vegan guests, too...!

Roasting brings such wonderful depth to veggies, especially tomatos. Just try this sublime roasted tomato soup with basil oil!

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Crème Ninon, the posher pea soup

Life has been one continuous gourmet and Champagne fuelled fiesta of late so why stop now? Today's recipe is for Crème Ninon, one of French classics and a fine example of how justa  little tweak can elevate your average pea soup to a whole new league. A little cream, a dash of Champagne... and hey presto - you've got yourself a festive starter perfect for spring and summer! For added festiveness sprinkle the dishes with some edible flowers.

The soup was named after an actual person, who, despite being French, didn't really touch alcohol at all. A prominent figure of 17th century France, Anne de Lenclos got two things from her father. Her nickname , Ninon, and an upbringing emphazising the principles of freedom and independence. And Anne clearly learnt her lessons. She held on to her independence and never married. Instead she chose a career as a courtesan and apparently lived a long and happy life - she didn't die until at 85.

Traditionally Champagne is used for the soup but I took a lesson out of Mademoiselle Ninon's book and the liberty to use Cremant. Alsatian sparkling wine instead. And my, oh my. Trés bien, indeed.

Seves 2 or as a started 3

Crème Ninon

3 shallots, finely shopped

1 tbsp butter

1 bulb of fennel, the outer layer and the hard core removed and finely sliced

4 dl chicken or vegetable stock

400 g peas

the leaves of 2-3 sprigs of tarragon

1,5 dl cream, loosely whipped

2 tsp dry (Oloroso) sherry

salt white pepper

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest 

To serve: 

3 rasher of bacon

a drizzle of Champagne or sparkling wine

Roast bacon in the oven at 200 until crisp. Drain on kitchen towel and cut into thin strips.

Sauté shallots in butter until translucent and add fennel, Pour in stock, cover and cook until veggies are soft - 10-15 minutes. Add peas and bring to boil so peas are piping hot throughout.

Puré the soup. Add tarragon leaves, sherry, lemon zest and about 1 dl of whipped cream (reserve the rest for serving). Season with salt and white pepper. Pour back into a clean pot, bring to boil and divide into serving dishes. Spoon remaining cream on top of the soup ad scatter with bacon strips and tarragon leaves. Add a splash (1-2 tbsp) of Champagne or sparkling wine int the soup and serve.

Cremant d'Alsace is sparkling wine made with Champagne method in Alsace, the wine region I've come to love a great deal. Today´s bottle came from Wolfberger, a trusty staple on this blog. Made entirely of Pinot Blanc this wine is great value for money. A great all round fizz for any occasion. 

The wine has small, dense bubbles and a fantastic mousse. Acidity, Citric notes and gentle minerality all make for a sparkling wine that's light and, well, full of joy. Much like Mademoiselle Lenclos, then!

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Pike, crayfish and asparagus terrine

Pernod Ricard invited bloggers to take part in a OivaPari-recipe contest, where the participating wines are paired with food suitable for the parties that spring and summer always bring with them. A celebrity chef will pick his favourites out of all the entries and then you get to vote for the winners!

The contest kicked off with a virtual wine tasting. The wines were delivered to my doorstep and then I sampled them in a tasting that was broadcast over the Internet while chatting with the fellow participants - all from the comfort of my own bed. So very convenient, so very convivial!

(Though you can imagine the Boy Next Door's reaction as he finally got home, knackered after another long day in the office. Me, on the bed, surrounded by bottles of wine and balancing the laptop on my knees. "So... how was your day, then? Try and explain then that "hey, I'm still working!")

The first up was Castillo de Molina. Their Reserva Pinot Noir 2011 was recently voted as the overall winner in the Wine of the Year 2014- competition in Finland and subsequently has sold out everywhere. And a fine wine it is too!

With a spring on our minds (and in our steps!) we went for Castillo de Molina Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, which also had been recognized in that same competition. The crisp wine immediately got us thinking of all the springtime treats such as fish, crayfish... and asparagus, of course! Oh, how I've been looking forward to the asparagus season! More recipes (loads of them!) for that coming up on the blog soon! Though I'm clearly not the only one - there are days when I've practically had to fight for the last bunches...

You can make the terrine already the day before. It also makes for a great party food in that it is suitable for those avoiding meat, gluten and carbs - these days so many of your guests are bound to fall into at least one of those categories...! 

10-12 portions

appr. 600 g pike or another white fish
150 g crayfish tails 
2 shallots (or 1 small onion)
2 eggs
2 dl cream
finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
generous handful of parsley leaves
handful of dill wisps
4-5 green asparagus (depending on the size)
1,5 tsp salt
1,5 tsp black pepper

Finely chop the herbs and onions. Sauté onions in butter or oil until soft. Trim the woody ends off the asparagus and steam or boil them for a couple of minutes. Then shock them by immersing them in ice water (this stops the cooking and helps them maintain their vibrant green colour). Grind the fish in a food processor (for stories on how not to do it please see here...), add eggs, keep pulsing and finally, with the motor running, cream. Fold in drained and roughly chopped crayfish tails, lemon zest and herbs. Season. But carefully. The healthcare professionals behind those recommendations on RDA on salt are probably seeing red already because of the salt content of brine that the crayfish came in...

Line a terrine mold/ loaf tin (mine measured 22 cm x 10 cm so the ) with foil so that there's enough of the foil hanging outside the tin. Pour in half of the mixture and smooth it. On top of that lay the asparagus, top with rest of the mixture and smooth the top. Fold in the foil on top of the terrine so it's covered, place the tin into a bigger oven dish or roasting tin and pour into that dish enough boiling water so it comes halfway up the loaf tin. Bake at 175° for an hour. Let cool and then set in the fridge . Using a sharp knife cut into slices and serve at room temperature. In a good company and with some chilled white wine!

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ANYONE FOR SECONDS?



      

Brioches, burgers, buns

Street food. In case you didn't get the memo, that's where it's at. And it has been featured in this blog too. There was Streat Helsinki, my fellow blogger's cook book on the subject and then there have been the reviews of all the restaurants specialized in it (Twisted Street Kitchen, Hodari & Hummeri, Street Gastro, Cholo...)

Already Rosburger got me thinking about it, but the lush burgers and sliders at Streat Helsinki made me realize that a proper, brioche-like it's something I'm just going to have to learn to make myself. Summer is just around the corner! And with it, the BBQ- season! And my head is buzzing with ideas for all sorts of burgers!

As I was poring over different recipes out there I decided to settle for this, not-too-buttery one. Spelt I didn't have, so I substituted it with barley. Though I have since made these using just all purpose flour.

Brioche sounds so elegant and difficult. This recipe isn't any of that but it does take time. It's care-free though in that you can make the dough the night before and leave it to rise in the fridge overnight. And then, come morning, you can greet the world bonjour to the seductive scent of these rich and buttery buns!

Makes 6-8 burger-size brioches, 10-12 slider-size ones

100 g butter (no, nothing else will do)
1 dl milk

25 g fresh yeast (if you let the dough rise longer than 4 hours 20 g will suffice))

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

3  dl all purpose flour

2 dl slightly coarser spelt flour (or bread flour or barley flour or all purpose flour)

for glazing: 2 egg yolks

Sesame seeds (or poppy seeds) to sprinkle (optional)

Take butter into room temperature about an hour before baking. Bring milk to 37° , dissolve yeast into it and then stir in honey and salt. Whisk in the eggs and then add flour in a couple of installments. Finally work in the butter in small cubes as this helps the butter spread evenly and results in fluffy dough. Using either a Kitchen Aid (about 8 minutes) or your hands (10-15 minutes), keep working the dough until it's soft and elastic. Add more flour if needed for a smooth, pliable result.

Cover with cling film and let rise in the fridge for an hour. Or longer, such as overnight. Dump the dough onto lightly floured surface, knead away the air bubbles and form into a bar. Cut into as many segments as you want and gently roll into balls. Especially if you intend to pile loads of meat onto your buns, try to keep them fairly low - otherwise they can be a nightmare to eat. Place on a baking sheet and onto a tray, cover with a tea towel and let rise for another hour.

Beat the egg yolks, brush the buns with the glaze, sprinkle some seeds on top and bake at 200° for 15-20 minutes until they're gloriously golden.

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