The Houndstooth Gourmet

I was so happy with the tart I made earlier this week for DC Foodies, that I decided to make another one. This time, I capitalized on a photography expidition to Cheesetique (Del Ray), and bought a couple of their products while I was there. I explained to a very helpful woman behind the counter that I wanted to make a tart with a cheese that could withstand baking in the oven with the crust. She suggested Bucheron. Bucheron is an aged goat’s milk cheese from the Loire Valley of France. A thin moldy rind encases a log of cheese, which is harder on the outside, and flakier towards the middle. The flavor is both tangy and mellow.

I combined the cheeese with Jamon serrano ham. Meaning mountain ham, serrano is a dry-cured Spanish ham. Similar to Italian Proscuitto, it is generally served raw in slices. I happen to enjoy the taste and texture of the former more than that latter. To me, serrano ham seems less fatty and the flavor is more concentrated.

Finally, I added dates to the tart to add a sweet note to balance the tangy cheese and salty ham.

I said it before and I’ll say it again…..if I can do this, so can you! The tart pastry (Pâte Brisée) comes together quickly, and after a brief (or longer) period of refrigeration (up to overnight, or frozen for a month), you can use my idea for topping, or do your own. Just about anything you can imagine can go on top!

How fun is that?

Enjoy!

Bucheron, Serrano Ham and Date Tart

Serves 6

Ingredients

Pâte Brisée

• 1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 1/2-3 Tablespoons ice-cold water

Topping

• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6-8 Bucheron cheese
• 1/4 lb. Jamon serrano ham sliced paper thin
• 10-12 pitted dates, sliced in half
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling over after baking

Directions

Cut the butter into cubes and place in freezer for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, place the flour and salt. Pulse 5 times. Add butter in thirds and pulse until it crumbs into pea size balls. With the processor running, slowly pour water through the top. The dough should come together and not crumble.

Take dough out of processor and form it into a flat disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to one month; defrost in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Lightly butter a 9 inch springform pan.

Lightly flour a board and rolling pin. Place dough disk onto board and roll out to about a 10 inch diameter. Roll from center-out and make 1/4 turns to form a circle. Don’t worry if the dough edges crack or become uneven. You can easily patch the dough once it is in the pan.

Place rolling pin at one end of the dough and roll the dough around the pin. Transfer dough to pan and pat down evenly. Tamp down the edges to make a bit of a crust at the edges. Patch holes in dough as needed.

Crack black pepper over dough to taste. Place crumbled/thinly sliced Bucheron cheese, dates and ham over tart pastry. Drizzle 1-2tablespoon of olive oil over the tart.

Place tart in oven and turn heat down to 425 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow tart to cool for 5 minutes, and release the pan. Transfer/ slide tart gently onto a cutting board and drizzle more olive oil if you like.

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Tags: cheese // 6 Comments »