Best Alsatian Onion And Bacon Tartlets Recipes

ALSATIAN ONION AND BACON TARTLETS

Steps:

• Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons water and process using on/off turns until mixture forms moist clumps, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball. Shape into log. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut dough crosswise into 12 equal slices. Roll out each slice on lightly floured surface to 6-inch round. Transfer each round to 4-inch-diameter tartlet pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Trim off excess dough. Pierce bottom with fork. Refrigerate 10 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Sauté bacon in large pot over medium heat until brown, about 9 minutes. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from bacon. Add onions to bacon and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Cool.
• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir 2 minutes (do not brown). Gradually whisk in milk. Increase heat to medium-high and boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Whisk yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot sauce. Mix in onion mixture, salt, pepper and nutmeg. (Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and chill.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tartlets on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, pressing bottom and sides with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 18 minutes. Cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Spoon filling (about 1/4 cup) into each tartlet. Bake until tops begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tartlets to racks and cool slightly. Remove from pans. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

ALSATIAN CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch square, then transfer to a large baking sheet.
• Blend cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth.
• Cook bacon in a 10-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to brown, about 5 minutes. (Bacon should be tender, not crisp.) Remove from heat.
• Spread cheese mixture evenly over pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Scatter bacon and onion on top, then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake until pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into 36 pieces and serve warm.

ALSACE ONION TART

Steps:

• Make pastry:
• Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 4 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (Do not overwork mixture, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 equal portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion. Gather dough together with pastry scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 14-inch round and fit into tart pan. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang over pastry and press against side to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom with a fork and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Line chilled shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until pastry is set and pale golden along rim, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake shell until golden all over, 10 to 15 minutes more. Transfer shell to a rack. (Leave oven on.)
• Prepare filling while shell bakes:
• Cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spatula to paper towels to drain and pour off bacon fat. Add butter to skillet and cook onions with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper over moderate heat, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Cover surface of onions with a round of parchment or wax paper (or cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid) and continue to cook, lifting parchment to stir frequently, until onions are very soft and pale golden, about 20 minutes. Stir in bacon, then remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.
• Whisk together crème fraîche, eggs, nutmeg, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, then stir in onions.
• Fill and bake tart:
• Pour filling into tart shell, spreading onions evenly, and bake until filling is set and top is golden, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.