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Open Picardy leek tart in a shortcrust pastry case.

Rustic regional dishes & savoury baking

Flamiche aux Poireaux

By Rick Stein

Soft, buttery leeks fill a short pastry case, bound with crème fraîche and eggs and warmed with freshly grated nutmeg. Each slice has a crisp, crumbly edge against the tender centre. Rick Stein keeps this Picardy tart simple, using his mother’s shortcrust pastry and plenty of leeks cooked slowly in butter. Serve it warm or at room temperature, when the sweet filling and rich pastry make an appealing lunch.

Prep
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Ingredients

Leek filling

Shortcrust pastry

Method

  1. Process flour, salt, pastry butter and lard in a food processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and add enough cold water for a smooth, nonsticky dough.
  2. Roll on a floured surface to a circle about 28 cm across. Line a 25 cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin, trim and prick the base. Cover and refrigerate or freeze for at least 30 minutes.
  3. For the filling, melt the 75 g butter in a large shallow pan. Sweat the leeks uncovered over medium-low heat 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Reduce any excess water. Stir in crème fraîche and beaten eggs and season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  4. Preheat to 200°C conventional /180°C fan. Line the chilled case with baking paper and beans. Bake about 10 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake another 4–5 minutes to dry the base. Lower the oven to 190°C conventional /170°C fan.
  5. Fill the case with leeks, season with a little black pepper and bake 25–30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Equipment

Food processor; Rolling pin; 25cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin; Baking paper and beans; Large shallow pan

Notes

  • Leeks: wash thoroughly after halving lengthways, then slice. Sweat them gently until soft, and reduce any excess watery liquid before adding the crème fraîche and eggs.
  • Pastry: use cold fats and enough ice-cold water to make a smooth dough that is not sticky. Vegetable shortening is the stated alternative to lard.
  • Chilling and blind baking: chill or freeze the lined tin for at least 30 minutes. After the first blind bake, remove the beans and paper and give the base its extra 4–5 minutes to dry.
  • Serving: serve warm or at room temperature.
  • Batch and timing: this is one 25 cm tart. No person count or complete elapsed time is published; allow for the pastry chill, leek cooking, blind bake and final bake. Pastry salt and filling seasoning are given without measured amounts.

Photos

1 photo
Open Picardy leek tart in a shortcrust pastry case.ServingLeek tart, sliced for serving

Flamiche aux Poireaux

Recipe photos

About this dish

Flamiche is part of the savoury baking tradition of northern France. In Picardy, where leeks are an important local crop, the leek-filled version became known as flamiche à porjons or à poryons. Often made as a covered pie, it has many variations, with cases made from puff pastry or bread dough and fillings enriched with cheese or lardons. The shared idea is a generous vegetable filling enclosed or held by pastry.

For Secret France, Rick Stein chooses an open tart and his mother’s particularly short shortcrust pastry. Butter and lard, or vegetable shortening, give the case its crumbly texture. He sweats a generous quantity of leeks slowly in butter before binding them with crème fraîche and eggs. Cooking away excess leek liquid and blind-baking the case keep the rich filling and pastry in balance. A little nutmeg is all the extra fragrance it needs.

Recipe and cooking notes adapted from Rick Stein.