Leek Tart

Another delicious recipe adapted from Alice Waters. This simple dish combines butter cooked leeks with homemade crust in a light cream sauce to create a dish with a subtle yet interesting flavor.

Entrees

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 1 hour
Serves 8

Pie Crust
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
Measure flour into a large bowl.
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable shortening
Add the salt and shortening.
Using two dull butter knives or a pastry blender, blend the flour, salt and shortening until the shortening is the size of peas.
6 tablespoons ice cold water
Fill a wide-mouthed glass with ice. Add water to the top. Measure or pour the ice cold water into the flour mixture. Using a spatula or your hands, mix the water into the flour to form a large ball of dough. You may need to add an extra tablespoon of water if you have excess flour. If you added too much water, add additional flour until the dough is well formed but not too sticky. Handle and mix the dough as little as possible.
Form dough into a disc and wrap in wax paper. Put wrapped dough in the freezer for 10 minutes or the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
When ready to use, remove dough and place on counter.
Leek Filling
Preheat oven to 400°F.
3 pounds leeks (about 5 to 6 medium)
Cut off root and green ends of leeks and cut leek in half length wise. Gently rinse out interior and exterior of leeks to remove all dirt or sand. Cut halves lengthwise again to form quarters. Finely chop leeks and transfer to a bowl.
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Add thyme to bowl with leeks.
4 tablespoons butter
Heat butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add leeks and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and tender, about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of water if necessary to prevent leeks from burning or sticking to pan.
⅓ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
When leeks are just about finished, add heavy cream, salt, and pepper and stir, cooking until cream has just blended, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Assembly and Baking
reserved pie crust
flour (as needed)
Lightly sprinkle a clean work surface with flour. Remove pie crust from fridge. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a 10- to 12-inch circle. Place in a shallow 9- or 10-inch pie or tart pan, pressing dough down onto sides.
reserved leeks
Transfer leeks from pan onto prepared dough. If desired, fold sides over form a crude shell over the out edge of the tart.
Bake at 400°F until crust is golden brown and tops of leeks are starting to brown and caramelize, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes before serving.

From MakeBetterFood.com. Aug 1, 2012. (makebetterfood.com/recipes/leek-tart/). Adapted from Waters, Alice. Chez Panisse Vegetables. (HarperCollins, 1996.) p. 184

MakeBetterFood.com

Measure flour into a large bowl.
Add the salt and shortening.
Using two dull butter knives or a pastry blender, blend the flour, salt and shortening until the shortening is the size of peas.
Fill a wide-mouthed glass with ice. Add water to the top. Measure or pour the ice cold water into the flour mixture. Using a spatula or your hands, mix the water into the flour to form a large ball of dough. You may need to add an extra tablespoon of water if you have excess flour. If you added too much water, add additional flour until the dough is well formed but not too sticky. Handle and mix the dough as little as possible.
Form dough into a disc and wrap in wax paper. Put wrapped dough in the freezer for 10 minutes or the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
When ready to use, remove dough and place on counter.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut off root and green ends of leeks and cut leek in half length wise. Gently rinse out interior and exterior of leeks to remove all dirt or sand. Cut halves lengthwise again to form quarters. Finely chop leeks and transfer to a bowl.
Add thyme to bowl with leeks.
Heat butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add leeks and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and tender, about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of water if necessary to prevent leeks from burning or sticking to pan.
When leeks are just about finished, add heavy cream, salt, and pepper and stir, cooking until cream has just blended, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Lightly sprinkle a clean work surface with flour. Remove pie crust from fridge. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a 10- to 12-inch circle. Place in a shallow 9- or 10-inch pie or tart pan, pressing dough down onto sides.
Transfer leeks from pan onto prepared dough. If desired, fold sides over form a crude shell over the out edge of the tart.
Bake at 400°F until crust is golden brown and tops of leeks are starting to brown and caramelize, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes before serving.