We're taking a family vacation (Gustavo's family) with 10 people. To the beach for my suegra's birthday. It's so exciting! You must think because I live in a tropical country I go to the beach a lot. Um, not exactly. This year I have been twice: when my mom and grandma came (it was amazing), and then a couple of months ago just for the day. I know, it's crazy, seeing as I live like an hour and a half from the beach.
So you say, why am I making delicious fattening food like a butter-bathed leek and goat cheese tart with an all-butter crust when I have to fit into that two-piece? Let's be honest here… I have a hard time adhering to "diets" and you all know what I think about them anyways. So let's just enjoy life, one tart at a time!
Leek and goat cheese tart
Adapted from Molly Wizenberg via Bon Appétit
Ingredients
For crust:
2-4 TBSP ice water
¾ tsp apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
1 stick plus 1 TBSP unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pats
For filling:
½ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
¼ tsp salt
½ cup crumbled goat cheese (crumble it in the food processor if needed- I used a bit more)
1 ½ cups leek confit:
Leek confit:
½ stick unsalted butter
4 very large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into ¼-inch rounds (see note)
2 TBSP water
½ tsp salt
To make the crust: Combine ice water and cider vinegar in a small bowl. (The original recipe indicates 4 TBSP water; however, after using about 2, my dough was wet enough and holding together. Use your best judgement depending on the climate you live in). Blend flour and salt in your food processor. Add butter and cut in using on-off turns until the mixture looks like coarse meal or sand. With the processor on, slowly add water-vinegar mixture and process until just until moist clumps form. The goal is for the dough to be moist enough to hold together, but not wet.
Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (I did overnight).
To prebake the crust, preheat the oven to 375F and place rack in the middle of the oven. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 12-inch round. You may either use a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, or a 10-inch quiche dish (I used the latter although I have the tart pan, I wanted to try out my new quiche dish!). However if you decide to use larger of the two, you will need to roll the dough out thinner and must be careful that it doesn't burn. Press dough into the pan. Fold in overhang and press to extend dough slightly above the sides of the pan. (Here I pricked holes in the bottom although the original recipe doesn't require it. If the dough is warm refrigerate in pan for 15 minutes). Line pan with foil and pie weights or dry beans or rice. Bake until dough looks dry and set, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake 20-25 minutes more, until pale golden (keep an eye on it so it doesn't bake darker than golden). Remove from oven and cool slightly while preparing filling. Do not turn off the oven.
To make the leek confit (I did this a day before, you may make it and refrigerate it up to a week ahead of time, reheat before using): Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks; stir to coat. Stir in water and salt. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook until leeks are tender, stirring often, about 25 minutes. Uncover and cook until the excess water evaporates, about 2 to 3 minutes.
To make the filling: Whisk together milk, cream, egg, egg yolk, and salt in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle ¼ cup of goat cheese over bottom of warm crust, top with leek confit, spreading over, and then top with remainder of goat cheese. Pour milk mixture over. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the filling is puffed and slightly golden in spots, and center looks set. Cool slightly on wire rack before serving.
A note about the leeks: I could only find small leeks so I bought 6 thinking it would be enough, not having seen in the original recipe that you need 5 cups of chopped leeks. I got about 2 cups. But it worked out well; I think with 5 cups the tart would be too full of leeks.
Wow I love goat cheese and leeks... and now combining them... this looks phenomenal!
Posted by: Zoey | 11/01/2010 at 11:15 AM
I know, I love them too! Goat cheese is my fav and leeks make any tart or quiche stand out.
Posted by: Sarah | 11/01/2010 at 11:36 AM