Best Pancetta Leek And Goat Cheese Tartlets Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

Goat Cheese-Leek Tart image

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 bunch leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced into half-moons (about 2 cups), washed well and dried (see below)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
6 ounces fresh goat cheese, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon water
1 Basic Pie Crust (page 364) or store-bought refrigerated dough (for a 9-inch pie)
All-purpose flour, for dusting

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack on lowest shelf. In a bowl, toss leeks with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Whisk together goat cheese, cream cheese, milk, 2 egg yolks, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, lightly beat remaining egg yolk with the water, for egg wash.
Roll out dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick, on a lightly floured work surface. (Or unfold store-bought dough.) Place on a baking sheet. Spread goat-cheese mixture on crust, leaving a 2-inch border. Sprinkle leeks evenly on top. Fold edge of dough over filling, pinching folds together to seal. Brush dough with egg wash.
Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until crust is golden brown and filling is browned in spots, about 1 hour. Let cool completely on a wire rack. To serve, cut into wedges.
Preparing Leeks
Trim root end and dark green tops. Halve leeks lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise into half-moons. Wash well in several changes of cold water, swishing leeks to release any grit, until water is clear. Drain, and dry on paper towels.

Salmon, Goat Cheese, and Leek Tart image

Yield Makes 10 to 12 first-course servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved, thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup whipping cream
1 5.2-ounce package soft herb cheese (such as Boursin), room temperature
1 3.5-ounce package soft fresh goat cheese, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 large eggs
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
2 tablespoons plain dried breadcrumbs

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out puff pastry on lightly floured surface to 12-inch square. Line 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with pastry, cutting off excess at edge. Using fork, pierce dough all over. Freeze pastry 5 minutes. Cover pastry with aluminum foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake pastry 15 minutes. Remove weights and foil. Bake crust until golden, about 5 minutes longer. Cool completely on rack. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature.)
Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced leeks and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add whipping cream and simmer until leek mixture is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Let mixture cool.
Using wooden spoon, beat herb cheese, goat cheese, and cream cheese in large bowl until well blended. Stir in leek mixture, then lemon juice and thyme. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition.
Spread half of filling over bottom of crust. Top with smoked salmon. Top salmon with remaining filling. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Bake tart until filling is set, about 30 minutes. Transfer to platter. Let tart cool to room temperature. Cut tart into wedges and serve.

Goat Cheese and Leek Galette image

Yield Serves 2; can be doubled

Number Of Ingredients 7

1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 egg, beaten to blend
1 10-ounce tube refrigerated pizza crust dough
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), crumbled

Steps:

Position rack in top third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Heat wine and butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat until butter melts. Add leeks. Cover; cook until leeks are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in marjoram. Reserve 2 teaspoons egg; stir remaining egg into leek mixture. Meanwhile, unroll pizza dough on lightly floured baking sheet. Stretch or pull dough to 13 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread leek mixture over dough, leaving 1-inch border on all sides. Sprinkle cheese and pepper over filling. Fold 1-inch border in over filling. Brush folded edge with reserved 2 teaspoons egg.
Bake galette until crust is golden brown, about 14 minutes. Cut galette into 4 pieces and serve warm.

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts image

Yield Serves 2 as a first course

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 large onion
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 puff pastry sheet (from a 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed according to package instructions)
1 ounce soft mild goat cheese at room temperature
Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450°F. and butter a baking sheet. Cut onion into very thin slices. In a heavy skillet heat butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add water and deglaze skillet, scraping up any brown bits and cooking until water is evaporated. Stir in thyme and cook mixture until onion is deep golden.
While onion is cooking, cutting lengthwise along a fold line, cut off one third of pastry sheet, about 10 by 3 inches, and reserve remaining pastry for another use. Halve pastry strip crosswise and transfer pieces to baking sheet. Prick pastry all over with a fork and bake in middle of oven until deep golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer a pastry piece with a spatula to each of 2 plates and immediately press down centers to form an indentation for goat cheese and onion. Spread goat cheese in middle of pastry pieces and top with caramelized onion.
Garnish tarts with fresh thyme sprigs and serve immediately.