Mini Square Vegetarian Tarte Flambee and Regular Flammkuchen Savory Versions

For this month International Challenge we are challenged with popular pastry from Alsace-Lorraine region. Alsace and Lorraine are separate regions in France’s north-eastern corner, which inherits partly German and partly French culture. This recipe is suggested by Shobana (among the three I opted this tart) organized and hosted by Saras and Shobana. Thank you both for making me to learn new International dish each month :-). Now coming to today’s recipe Tarte flambée, Flammekueche, Flammkuchen (savory version) is a very thin crust wheat flour tart topped with meat (but I went for Soya chunks), white onions and a cream-based sauce made with fromage blanc (cottage cheese) and crème fraîche. Also called as French Pizza (without Yeast). You can make the shape as you like, I made rectangle, round and mini rectangle and the last two versions I made only with whole wheat flour.

Recipe Source – Serious Eats

Ingredients for the pastry

Wheat/Atta flour – 1 ¼ Cups
All-purpose flour – 1/2 Cup * (Replace with atta/wheat flour)
Extra virgin Olive oil –  2 Tbsp
Salt – 1tsp or to taste
Ice water – As needed to make STIFF dough

* The below one (mini and border designed flambee) made of wheat flour…

Ingredients for the sauce

Boiled milk – 1/3 Cup
Sour cream/Thick Yogurt – 1/2 Cup (Replace with Cream Cheese)
Cream cheese – 1/3 cup (Replace with cottage cheese/Ricotta cheese/Crème fraiche)
Pepper – , freshly ground to taste
Nutmeg powder – A Pinch, freshly grated (Optional)
Salt to taste

Other Ingredients for Topping

Corn kernels/Paneer/Marinated Soya chunks (procedure in detail below **) – 1/3 cup
Onion – 1 number (Large size) and thinly sliced
Grated cheese to sprinkle on the top, I’ve used Cheddar cheese

** Soya chunk is marinated with little red chilly powder, 2 Tbsp of water, salt for 30 minutes at least. Pan fry them for couple of minutes. Can do the same for paneer and corn as well. If using soya chunks then chop them in to small pieces.

Pastry Preparation

• Take both the flour in a bowl and add the olive oil.
• Mix the oil with the flour thoroughly using ur fingers.
• Now add the ice cold water little by little (Pic 1) and form a STIFF dough (Pic 2), be careful not to add more water.
• Slightly grease the outer surface of the dough with olive oil and cover it suing a cling wrap.
• Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
• After one hour, flat the dough and make shapes as you like (Pic 3).
• Line the baking sheet with parchment paper(optional, if using non stick pans then no need), set aside.
• Roll out the dough to form a thin (thin like for making Phulkas) oval/round/rectangle shape, place on the prepared baking sheet and form a slight border by pinching the edges upward (I used fork to give impression as shown in Pic 4).

Sauce Preparation

• Mix the sour cream, milk and with either one of the ingredient available (Cream Cheese/Cottage cheese/Ricotta or Crème Fraiche), combine well. (I used pulsor/mixie to blend all together)
• Season the cream with freshly grated nutmeg powder, salt and pepper, mix thoroughly.
• The consistency should resemble like a white sauce. Set aside.

Glazing the Onions

• Saute the finely sliced onions with little bit of olive oil for a minute, transfer and set aside.
• Shred the cheese (I used Cheddar Cheese, any cheese works).
• Get ready with other toppings and sauce (Pic 5).
• Preheat oven to 205°C/400°F.
• Spoon the already prepared sauce mixture (be generous) evenly over the prepared pastry (Pic 6).
• Distribute the onion slices over the top, sprinkle on the chopped soya chunks, add the grated cheese on top (Pic 7 & 8) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

• Cut the tart into rectangles/traingle to serve.

Notes

1. Never ever use fat free products esp to make this Flammekueche, the end product doesn’t tastes good.
2. This tarts are traditionally topped with Bacon, so if want you can add instead of veggies.