Bar-Style Tarte Flambée (Alsatian Pizza With Fresh Cheese, Onions, and Bacon)

Bar-Style Tarte Flamb\u00e9e (Alsatian Pizza With Fresh Cheese, Onions, and Bacon)
  • Yield:Makes about 6 (10-inch) bar-style pies
  • Active time:25 minutes
  • Total time:25 minutes
  • Rated: 5.0

A bar-style Alsatian pie. [Photographs: Daniel Gritzer]

It looks like a pizza, it cooks like a pizza, but don't make the mistake of actually thinking it's a pizza. Tarte flambée, the Alsatian flatbread topped with fromage blanc (a fresh, tart, spreadable cheese), thinly sliced raw onions and bacon, is as Franco-Germanic in flavor as can be. This method delivers a crisp bar-style tart, cooked on a flour tortilla in a cast iron skillet, then browned under the broiler. It has a thin, cracker-like crust that is irresistible.

Note: If you can't find fromage blanc, a tangy fresh cheese, you can substitute the fromage blanc- and crème fraîche-mixture below with either 1 1/2 cups quark, or 3/4 cup buttermilk blended with 3/4 cup cream cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fromage blanc (see note above)
  • 1/2 cup crème fraîche (see note above)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • Vegetable oil, for skillet
  • 6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1/4 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips

Directions

  1. 1.

    Adjust oven rack to 6 to 8 inches below broiler element and preheat broiler to high. In a medium bowl, whisk together fromage blanc and crème fraîche together until thoroughly incorporated. Season with salt and pepper; whisk in nutmeg.

  2. 2.

    Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until shimmering. Reduce heat to low and wipe out excess oil with a paper towel.

  3. 3.

    Working 1 tortilla at a time, place tortilla in skillet with the rougher textured-side facing down. Spread 1/4 cup fromage blanc mixture over tortilla all the way to the edges.

  4. 4.

    Scatter a small amount of onion on top, all the way to the edge.

  5. 5.

    Scatter small amount of bacon on top, all the way to the edge.

  6. 6.

    Place skillet under broiler and broil until bacon is cooked and tarte flambée is browned in spots, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven. Using a small metal spatula, peek under bottom. If more crispness is desired, place skillet over medium-heat and cook, swirling tarte and peeking occasionally, until desired crispness is achieved. Slide tarte out onto a cutting board. Cut and serve immediately. Wipe out skillet and repeat with remaining tortillas and toppings.