Tarte Flambée with Caramelized Onions, Smoked Bacon, and Creamy Cheese
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 to 12 strips meaty smoked bacon
- 6 ounces (about ⅔ cup) fromage blanc (or soft cream cheese, if fromage blanc is unavailable)
- 3 ounces (⅓ cup) mascarpone
- 3 ounces (⅓ cup) crème fraîche
- 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
- 1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough, at room temperature
- Cornmeal for dusting
Instructions:
Contrary to what its name might lead you to expect, this tart isn’t flambéed. The “flaming” refers to the burnt edges of this thin Alsatian flatbread, made from pizza dough and strewn with onions and bacon.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, caramelized, and sweet, 30 to 40 minutes. Do not let them cook too fast, or they’ll dry out and burn rather than caramelize; add a little water if they look too dry. Let them cool before using.
- While the onions are caramelizing, cook the bacon in a second large sauté pan over medium heat just until it starts to become crispy but some of the fat still remains. Transfer to a rack and allow to cool.
- Cut the bacon crosswise into ½-inch-wide strips. Mix the fromage blanc, mascarpone, crème fraîche, and flour together. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Cut the pizza dough into 4 equal pieces and roll into balls. Drape with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Using plenty of flour, roll one of the balls of dough into a circle 10 to 11 inches in diameter. Push the crust together to thicken it slightly around the edge for a rim. Transfer the circle to a peel or sheet pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Dimple the dough with your fingertips so it doesn’t puff up during baking. Brush 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over the dough or rub it on with your fingertips, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge.
- Spread one-quarter of the cheese mixture evenly over the dough. Then spread one-quarter of the onions evenly over the cheese. Distribute one-quarter of the bacon over the onions.
- Slide the tart onto the stone and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy, the cheese bubbles, and the crust is a deep golden brown. While the first tart is baking, prepare the second.
- Remove the tart from the oven with the peel, or slide it onto a sheet pan, and transfer to a cutting board. Place the next tart in the oven. Cut the finished tart into 4 slices, place on a plate, and serve immediately. Start working on the third tart, and repeat the process until you’ve finished all 4 tarts.