Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Shallot & Goat Cheese Tart


This recipe is from my Barefoot in Paris cookbook. I have been wanting to make it for ages & finally did this weekend. I love quiche & this is a different spin on the classic, as it's lighter on the eggs & heavier on the cheese. While the ingredients themselves are not light...loads of cheese, cream & butter. It has a very light & airy texture. I made a few changes in the original recipe. I used a bit less cheese & changed up a few of the steps in making the pastry. I loved the final dish & will be keeping it in mind for our Easter brunch.

To make the pastry, add 1 1/2 cups flour & a 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse once, or twice to combine. Cut 12 tablespoons of the butter {1 1/2 sticks} into cubes. Add to the flour mixture & pulse until the butter is approximately the size of peas.

With the food processor running, pour approximately 4 tablespoons of ice water into the feed tube & process until the dough comes together {you may need a bit less, or a bit more depending on how accurate your measuring was & where you live}.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface & shape into a disc. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap & chill for 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough out on a well-floured work surface,

into a disc large enough to fit a 9" tart pan. Tart pans come in different depths as well. I had a 9" pan in both the very shallow & deep dish sizes. The filling would have been way too much for the shallow one, so I went with the deep dish. If you have a size in between those two, it would be perfect.

Roll a rolling pin over the top of the pan to cut off the excess dough. Butter a section of foil large enough to fit your tart pan & line it {buttered side down}. Fill the foil with pie weights, or dried beans {I used both} & bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil & prick the bottom all over with a fork. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely chop 3-4 large shallots {about 3/4 cup} & melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a saute pan. Add the shallots & cook over medium low heat for about 10 minutes, or until softened & beginning to brown. Set aside for now.

Place 8 ounces of herb & garlic goat cheese in the bowl of a food processor & process until the cheese is crumbly. Add in 1 cup cream, 3 extra large eggs, a 1/4 cup minced fresh basil basil, a 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt & an 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Process until blended.

Scatter the shallots over the bottom of the tart shell. Pour in the filling & bake for 30-40 minutes,

or until the tart is firm when shaken & the top is lightly browned. Depending on the depth of your tart shell, this time will vary slightly.

Allow the tart to cool for 10 minutes before serving. It can be served hot, or at room temperature.

Goat Cheese & Shallot Tart

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Barefoot in Paris Cookbook
Serves 6

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt {divided}
13 tablespoons cold unsalted butter {divided}
4 tablespoons ice water
3/4 cup finely chopped shallots
8 ounces herb & garlic goat cheese
1 cup heavy cream
3 extra large eggs
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To make the pastry, add the flour & a 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse once, or twice to combine. Cut 12 tablespoons of the butter {1 1/2 sticks} into cubes. Add to the flour mixture & pulse until the butter is approximately the size of peas. With the food processor running, pour the ice water into the feed tube & process until the dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface & shape into a disc. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap & chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out on a well-floured work surface & fit into a 9" deep dish tart pan with removable sides. Roll a rolling pin over the top of the pan to cut off the excess dough. Butter a section of foil large enough to fit your tart pan & line it {buttered side down}. Fill the foil with pie weights, or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil & prick the bottom all over with a fork. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a saute pan. Add the chopped shallots & cook over medium low heat for about 10 minutes, or until softened & beginning to brown. Set aside for now.
Place the goat cheese in the bowl of a food processor & process until the cheese is crumbly. Add the cream, eggs, basil, a 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt & the pepper. Process until blended.
Scatter the shallots over the bottom of the tart shell. Pour in the filling & bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the tart is firm when shaken & the top is lightly browned.
Allow the tart to cool for 10 minutes before serving. It can be served hot, or at room temperature.

Click here for the printable recipe.

3 comments:

MaryMoh said...

I love goat cheese. This looks so delicious!

Stella said...

Hi Kate, this sounds so good. I've moved away from making cheese pies and quiche type tarts to making vegetable pies (with just a touch of milk, egg, & cheese), but this looks worth the splurge.

Lauren said...

What a gorgeous tart! I love goat cheese, so this is going on my "to make" list :).

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