Tarte Flambe with Herbed Creme Fraiche, Aged Cheddar, Caramelized Vidalia, Double Smoked Bacon, Softly Scrambled Eggs and Goat Cheese Recipe

4

Ingredients

Variation from Saveur:
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more to garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more to garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, plus more to garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pizza dough
Cornmeal, for sprinkling
Olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large Vidalia onion, halved and thinly sliced
Pinch sugar
8 ounces double-smoked bacon, cut into thin strips
1 cup grated sharp white American Cheddar
1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced into rounds
6 large eggs
2 ounces soft goat cheese, cut into small pieces and placed in the freezer for 5 minutes
1 ⁄2 cup crème fraîche
1 cup fromage blanc (available at Murray's Cheese) or cream cheese at room temperature
1 ⁄8 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 3⁄4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp. baking powder
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 egg yolks
8 strips smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced

Preparation

Step 1

Special equipment: Pizza peel, pizza stone

In a small bowl, whisk together the creme fraiche, chives, parsley and tarragon, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Put a rack as close to the bottom as possible, and put a pizza stone on the rack.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a very thin round. Sprinkle some corn meal onto the pizza peel. Transfer the dough to the pizza peel. Drizzle some olive oil over the dough, and season with salt and pepper. Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and bake until the bottom is crisp and the edges browned, about 10 minutes.

While the pizza dough cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and sugar and cook slowly until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and slowly cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat in a small bowl.

Remove the pizza dough from the oven. Top it with the Cheddar, cooked bacon and the onions, and return it to the oven to melt the cheese and finish cooking the dough, about 5 minutes.

While the pizza finishes cooking, pour 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat into a medium nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the chile and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl until very smooth, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs into the pan and stir constantly with a rubber spatula until soft curds form, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the goat cheese pieces and remove from the heat.

Remove the pizza from the oven to a cutting board. Top with the scrambled eggs. Drizzle some of the herbed creme fraiche over the eggs, and scatter the remaining herbs over the top. Slice and serve. (You can also slice the pizza into wedges, plate them, and top each serving.)

Variation:
1. Heat an oven to 500° with a pizza stone positioned on center rack. Mix crème fraîche, fromage blanc, nutmeg, and salt and white pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

2 Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1 tsp. salt in a bowl; make a well in the center. Whisk oil, yolks, and 1⁄2 cup water in another bowl, and pour into well. Using a fork, stir until a loose dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead dough for 1 minute. Divide dough into 3 pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll into a 12" circle, and place on a parchment paper—lined baking sheet. Spread 1⁄2 cup cheese mixture over circle, leaving a 1⁄2" border around edge. Sprinkle with a little of the bacon and onions. Transfer dough (on parchment paper) to pizza stone. Bake until lightly browned and crispy, 8–10 minutes. Repeat.