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

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated Mar. 21, 2019
Tarte Flambée
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.

Recipe Details

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

Active 25 mins
Total 25 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fromage blanc (see note)

  • 1/2 cup crème fraîche (see note)

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

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

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

  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.

Notes

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.

Special Equipment

Large cast iron skillet

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
319 Calories
16g Fat
33g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 319
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 29mg 10%
Sodium 457mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 66mg 5%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 185mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)