Savory Tart with Leeks, Goat Cheese and Crispy Proscuitto

I got my oven and I conquered my first (almost) from scratch recipe!  Last weekend, I went to one of my favorite restaurants in our neighborhood–aptly named Le Cafe–and had a tarte salee, which is sort of like a quiche, but lighter. 

Empowered by my new oven, I decided to try to re-create the tarte.  It was super simple and didn’t take long at all — the filling nothing but leeks, eggs, milk, cream, and mustard. 

Here’s the tart before I poured the egg and cream mixture on top:  

You may be wondering how I made the delicious-looking, lightly browned crust you see. Well, I’ll admit it, I didn’t.  I’m still building up my kitchen so don’t have a rolling pin (or flour, for that matter), so I bought some pate brisee dough from our local market. Next time, though, I’m going to try this recipe for an olive oil tart crust.

Lastly, I sliced a piece of crottin cheese to put on top of the uncooked tart.  Crottin is a goat cheese, but it is tangier and a bit more firm than the typical goat cheeses you find in the U.S. 

 

Lastly, while this was baking I took about 1/2 piece of proscuitto, cut it in little pieces and crisped it up in a skillet. This went on top of the cooked tart.

The final result was glorious. It was hearty but not too heavy. A nice texture, with rich flavors. Perfect served alongside a big green salad.  It is easily re-heated and it just as wonderful (maybe even better?) the next day.

 

SAVORY TART WITH LEEKS, GOAT CHEESE AND CRISPY PROSCUITTO
Serves 4 

1 recipe pate brisee
1 leek, cleaned well and sliced thinly
3 eggs
2 oz goat cheese (go for a tangier cheese, like a crottin; you could also do manchego, grated)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper 
1/2 piece proscuitto, diced

Pre-heat oven to 425.  Roll out pate brisee and line pie plate with it. Poke a few holes in the dough with a fork and cook for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven.

In the meantime, mix the eggs, milk, cream, mustard, salt and garlic in a bowl.  Layer the leeks on the crust and pour the eggs mixture over it.

Slice the cheese (or, if a softer goat cheese, crumble) and  lay on top. Sprinkle pepper on the top and bake for 35-40 minutes at 400.

While the tart bakes, put the proscuitto in a (dry) skillet and saute over medium for approx 5 minutes, until crispy. Remove from heat.

Remove the tart and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the proscuitto on top and serve. Bon Appetit!