So I’ve lived in France for almost a year, and one of my favorite foods here is quiche or tarte. I decided that I had to learn how to make this, so here goes my first attempt! There are lots of recipes online, all very similar.
Ingredients:
3 or 4 poireaux (leeks!)
2-3 eggs
crème fraîche (heavy cream) (hmmm maybe 1 cup or so?)
salt, pepper, nutmeg (nutmeg is optional)
grated cheese (in France it’s emmental, but I would also recommend a parmesian or something similar)
olive oil
homemade pie/quiche crust or a store bought dough
First, we have to sweat the leeks. Cut off all the dark green parts of the leeks, we only want to keep the lower white portion and some light green. The easiest thing to do is cut twice length-wise, like a plus or a cross, to quarter the leek. Then you can go ahead and slice them up relatively fine. Wash them well because there’s always dirt stuck down between layers-you can wash them before you slice them, after you quarter them, or after you chop them all up, whatever is easiest for you!
Now, into a pan they go!! Put in olive oil, some salt and pepper, and let them cook down until they become soft. Will take about 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently so they don’t blacken.
Once they are ready, into the uncooked tarte crust they go!!! In a separate bowl, you can mix together the eggs and crème fraîche until you have a liquid-like consistency to pour over the poireaux. I am not a fan of eggs, so I think I only used 1 and part of a second, but it’s up to you. It’s going to fluff up like quiche, so if you like things like frittatas, go for 3 eggs. Creme fraiche in France has a consistency like yogurt, so you really have to mix the egg in to get a pourable consistency. Once ready, pour over the leeks. Season all over again, with more salt and pepper and nutmeg (if you want). Leeks have a very soft and subtle taste, so you have to season it well.
After that, add your grated cheese and pop it into the oven at 180C for 25 to 30 minutes (umm 350F ….ish)
Voila!!!! What I would have done differently: maybe throw some cheese into the mixture as well, and have less on the top – I don’t necessarily love a complete cheese layer! Season more…. and remember to buy flour next time so I can make my own crust too!!!! Bon appétit!!
Why Not? 