There’s just something about this dish that has always appealed to me ever since I encountered it while roving around in the world of Witcher. Go on, say it out loud.
Flamiche.
It’s almost as much fun as talking about the Nilfgaardians… Only when I started researching a recipe for it did I realize that it’s already a real thing. With leeks! And cheese! I might have made it just for the name, but now we’re in business, which is a great thing, especially when all I’d otherwise have to go on is a tiny little image from the game:
As my flamiche was baking, the kitchen was filled with that mouthwatering aroma that comes from cooking onions or garlic. But mingled with it was the smell of good cheese, toasting slowly in the oven. Needless to say, it was all I could do to snap a few photos before eagerly taking my first bite. Aaaaand…
It’s fabulous. So simple, but richly flavored and completely binge-worthy. The crust has some crunch to it, balanced by the soft filling. There’s just a hint of the brown sugar sweetness, which melds wonderfully with the slightly tart goat cheese. In short, this one’s a keeper. I challenge you to have just one slice- I couldn’t!
Flamiche Recipe
Dough: chilled overnight Prep: Cooking: Baking: 30 minutes
Makes: 1 tart, ~8 servings
Crust Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 1/4 cup ice water, as needed
Filling Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 leeks, white and pale green parts cut into 1/4″ slices
- 2 Tbs. water
- 2 Tbs. brown sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 eggs, beaten
- pinch each of salt and ground pepper
- 4 oz. crumbled goat cheese
Start by making up the crust, which can be done a day in advance to allow it to chill. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, then cut in the butter until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Gradually add in the ice water, mixing with a fork, until you have a dough that is still slightly crumbly, but mostly holds together. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375F. Roll out your chilled dough pretty thin, then drape over a tart or pie pan. Press into the bottom and sides of the pan, prick the bottom of the dough all over to help prevent bubbling, and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until just starting to color.
While the crust is pre-baking, start the filling by melting the butter in a large frying pan. Add the leeks and a splash of water, then cover and simmer on medium-low for around 15 minutes, or until quite soft. Stir in the brown sugar, then cook for another 5 minutes. Set aside to cool somewhat. In a separate bowl, beat together the milk, cream, egg, and salt and pepper, and set that aside as well.
Sprinkle about 1/4 of the goat cheese in the bottom of the tart. Spread the leek mixture over top of that, then gently pour in the milk and cream mixture, stopping if you get too near the top of the crust. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until fragrant and the middle of the tart is starting to brown. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
