2 leeks , white part only, split lengthwise and cleaned
2 Tbl. unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 Tbl. cream or 1/2 and 1/2
ground pepper
5 oz. semidry blue cheese such as blue d'Auvergne
Preheat oven to 400°
Remove the pastry crust from the freezer and bake for 20 mins. with the foil
on. Then remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
Slice the leeks into crosswise strips. Melt the butter over very low heat.
Add the leeks, cover and sweat/cook the leeks for about 20 minutes. Stir often
to keep from browning. Allow to cool slightly.
Beat the eggs with cream. Add some fresh ground pepper.
Add the leeks and stir to blend. Crumble the blue cheese into the mixture and
combine. There will be small chunks of cheese.
Pour into the baked tart shell and smooth out to fill to the edges.
Bake at 375° for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.
Serve as a starter course for six or with a simple green salad for four .
Basic Pastry
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter ( 1 stick)
1/4 cup cold water.
In bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade place the flour and salt.
Blend together. Cut the butter into 8 pieces and drop into bowl. Pulse repeatedly
until butter and flour have become fine meal, with no big chunks. This takes
about 1 minute. With motor running, add the water and keep blending until dough
just starts to pull away from bowl and make a ball.
Remove dough from bowl, form into a ball and flatten ball on cutting board with
your hand so that you have a round disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap securely in
plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (You can make the dough
several days ahead).
To form tart crust:
Remove dough from refrigerator and let warm up about 20 minutes. Remove plastic
wrap and place on lightly floured board. Roll out crust to make a a circle about
14 inches across and about 1/8" thick. If crust starts sticking, add a
little more flour to board or pin, but don't over flour.
Have ready a 9-10" tart pan with removable bottom. Roll the dough onto
the rolling pin so that it drapes over and can be lifted off the board and quickly
drape over pan. Carefully fit dough into pan without stretching it. Fold excess
dough over into pan to create a double thickness on the sides of the tart, cutting
off excess dough on tart edge as you work. Prick bottom of crust with fork several
times. Line the pan tightly with aluminum foil, wrapping foil around to bottom
of pan and chill for 20 minutes in freezer.
Wine Recommendation:
1999 TERRE ROUGE Noir, Grand Annee
This silky and elegant wine partners well with the velvety qualities of the
blue cheese
Recipe by Jane O'Riordan, Domaine de la Terre Rouge