Martine Rodet's Leek Tart

This is a wonderful fall dish that uses leeks in a savory custard that is baked in a pâte brisé*.

Ingredients:

Pâte brisé - Enough to make a thin layer in a glass or enameled baking dish.

        You can use commercially available pie crust, 2 packets usually do the trick.

1 lb of fresh leeks, cleaned with most of the green parts removed. The white leek shaft is the most savory.

1 cup of creme fraiche or any good brand of fat-free sour cream

1 cup of skim milk

0.5 - 1 cup of sifted all purpose flour

2 eggs well beaten, or 0.5 cup of an egg substitute

0.5 lb of grated Gruyere Cheese, and a handful set aside.

Seasonings:  Salt (preferably sea salt), Pepper and Nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Clean the leeks well and then steam them. Martine puts the leek shafts in a vegetable steamer, lets them cool, and then coarsely chops them up. I have found that it is easier to chop them uncooked, and then put the chopped leeks in a dish towel, and cook them in a microwave oven for 2 minutes on full power. Careful when you take the leeks out as the dish towel holds steam.  Set the leeks aside.

Butter the baking dish and spread out the pâte brisé as even as possible, making a rounded edge of the dough on the edges of the dish.

Mix the milk, creme fraiche and flour and eggs in a large bowl so you can whisk together the ingredients. The consistency should be that of a batter that flows well, kind of like pancake batter. Season to taste; I find that about 1/2 Tsp salt, 1/4-1/2 Tsp nutmeg, and 5-6 good grinds (med) from your pepper mill work well, but like all good chefs, taste it!

Layer the leeks evenly in the baking dish with the pâte brisé, sprinkle the Gruyère cheese over the leeks, and then carefully pour the batter over the top in a movement from one end of the dish to the other. Then spread the batter with a flexible spatula to insure a consistent texture of the tart.

Spread the reserved Gruyère cheese over the top and dust nutmeg over the top. A few more grinds of pepper work well also.

Cook the tart in the oven for about 30 min. When finished, the top should be a golden brown and the tart should have puffed up a bit. If needed, an additional 10 minutes should finish it.

Remove the tart from the oven and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. You can serve it warm as a main course or at room temperature for brunch as you would serve any type of quiche.

*pâte brisé: This is a french type of dough that literally means "broken dough". It is made with all purpose flour that is mixed with cold butter. The butter is "broken" into the flour until the dough has a sandy consistency, and then a bit of water and salt are added and the dough kneaded to a smooth consistency. The trick is to not work the dough too much as it will fall apart.