In the Hands of a Chef (20 page)

3.
Cut the pizza dough into 2 equal pieces and roll into balls. Drape with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

4.
Using plenty of flour, roll one ball of dough into a rough rectangle about 10 inches wide and 20 inches long (or as long a shape as will fit on your pizza stone or sheet pan). If the dough begins tocontract as you try to roll it out, let it rest for 10 minutes to relax, then try rolling itto form a rim.

5.
Transfer the dough to a peel or sheet pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Dimple the dough with your fingertips so it doesn't puff up during baking. Spread a tablespoon of the garlic oil and half the garlic over the dough. Then sprinkle half the parsley over the dough. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of each cheese over the parsley.

6.
Slide the pizza onto the stone or place the sheet pan in the oven, and bake until the crust is starting to turn brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Top with half the prosciutto and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the prosciutto is starting to crisp. Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving plate, and cut into 8 slices.

7.
Drizzle the pizza with a teaspoon of the garlic oil and serve. Repeat the procedure with the second ball of dough and the remaining ingredients.

C
ontrary 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. In the original version, the raw ingredients were tossed over the dough with a little cheese and cooked rapidly in the hot brick oven of the town baker. Somewhere along the line—presumably in more prosperous times—a dollop of rich cheese was thrown into the mixture. Taking the time to caramelize the onions and crisping the bacon beforehand transforms the tart into an even richer, more luxurious dish.

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 (page 123), at room
temperature

Cornmeal for dusting

DO AHEAD:
Make the dough and caramelize the onions.

1.
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.

2.
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.

3.
Cut the bacon crosswise into ½-inch-wide strips. Mix the fromage blanc, mascarpone, crème fraîche, and flour together. Season with salt and pepper.

4.
Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F.

5.
Cut the pizza dough into 4 equal pieces and roll into balls. Drape with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.

6.
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.

7.
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.

8.
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.

9.
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.

I
love layering flavors and textures
in tarts—crispy, creamy, or crunchy, salty, sweet, or hot. The smoky flavor in this tart comes from Aleppo pepper, available in the Middle Eastern section of many supermarkets and in specialty markets. If you can’t find it, you can substitute a combination of hot red pepper flakes and paprika.

Prepare the bulgur and eggplant a day in advance if you like. Baked phyllo becomes soggy as it absorbs moisture from the air, especially in humid environments. If you bake the tarts within a few hours of serving, they should be fine; any longer, and you may need to crisp them for a few minutes in a 400°F oven. This is a great item to serve when some of your guests don’t eat meat.

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped into ¼-inch dice

¼ cup coarse bulgur wheat, rinsed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup finely chopped walnuts

3 ounces feta, crumbled

2 medium eggplants (about 1¾pound total)

2 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed with a
pinch of salt to a paste

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 scallions, trimmed and sliced paper-thin

¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or ¼ teaspoon hot red
pepper flakes plus
½
teaspoon paprika)

4 sheets phyllo dough

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ cup grated Asiago

1 red pepper, roasted (see page 99), peeled, seeded,
stemmed, and cut into ¼-inch strips

1.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the bulgur,
½
teaspoon salt, and
¾
cup water. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until all the water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then season with salt and pepper and stir in the walnuts and feta.

2.
Preheat the broiler. Put the eggplants on a baking sheet pan and poke them several times with a fork so they don’t explode while cooking. Place the pan under the broiler. Turn the eggplants as the skin blackens so they cook evenly. Broil until they are thoroughly blackened and the flesh is very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool.

3.
As soon as the eggplants are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Discard the skin. Finely chop the flesh. Mix the eggplant with the garlic, red wine vinegar, the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, the scallions, parsley, mint, and Aleppo pepper. Season with salt.

4.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

5.
Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on the counter. Keep the others from drying out by covering with plastic wrap. Brush the sheet with a thin layer of melted butter. Fold the sheet crosswise in half. Brush again with a thin layer of butter. Fold crosswise in half again, brush with butter, and then fold in half again, so you have a rectangle, measuring about 5×6 inches. Place the folded phyllo on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo.

6.
Cover each phyllo rectangle with one-quarter of the bulgur mixture. Cover the bulgur with the eggplant mixture and then sprinkle with the Asiago. Garnish the tops with crisscrossing strips of roasted red pepper.

7.
Bake the tarts until the phyllo is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. They’re also good at room temperature.

M
any savory crostatas depend on
root vegetables for substance. This recipe takes the dish in a lighter direction with tender spring vegetables—blanched scallions, fresh peas, and wilted lettuce. Although cooked lettuce is almost unheard of in this country, it’s delicious with cream or a rich cheese like mascarpone. Make sure the other vegetables are thoroughly cooked, since the crostata spends only enough time in the oven for the pastry to bake and the custard to set. Once you learn this basic technique, try experimenting with equivalent amounts of beet greens, escarole, string beans, or other soft vegetables of your choice.

12 ounces mascarpone (1½ cups)

3 extra-large egg yolks

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh savory or thyme

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup fresh peas

12 medium asparagus spears, tough ends snapped
off, stems peeled, and cut on the diagonal into
2-inch lengths

2tablespoons unsalted butter

1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut on the diagonal

into 2-inch lengths 1 head Boston lettuce, cut into 8 wedges, washed,

and dried well 1 recipe Basic Pastry Dough (page 343), chilled

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

1.
Mix the mascarpone with the egg yolks in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the herbs and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate.

2.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water heats, prepare a large bowl of ice water. As soon as the water boils, add the peas and blanch for 1 minute. Scoop a pea out of the boiling water and plunge it into the ice water to stop the cooking. Taste it. If it’s tender, scoop out the remaining peas and put them in the ice water; if it’s not quite done, let the others cook for another 30 seconds before removing them.

3.
Add the asparagus to the boiling water and blanch for
3
minutes. Test an asparagus stalk. Depending on their size, the asparagus may need to cook for as much as another minute. When tender scoop out of the boiling water and plunge into the ice water. Drain the vegetables and spin or pat dry.

4.
Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the scallions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the lettuce, season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook until the lettuce is wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook off any water, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool.

5.
Place the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 16-inch circle, about ⅛ inch thick. Fold it into quarters, transfer it to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and unfold. Spread the cool scallion-lettuce mixture over the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border. Arrange the peas and asparagus over it. Pull up the edges of the pastry and gently fold them over the vegetables into a rim. Pleat the dough as necessary but do not crimp. Place the crostata in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

6.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

7.
Remove the crostata from the refrigerator and pour the mascarpone mixture over the vegetables. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and crisp.

8.
Let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.

O
n Sunday nights, Boston chef
Gordon Hammersley used to emulate a practice of French family restaurants. In place of the formal Hammersley’s Bistro menu, he offered a shorter selection of economical “Sunday Suppers. “ It was a great deal all around. Patrons loved the lowered prices and the almost theatrical suspense of never knowing exactly what would be on the menu. As a sous-chef then, I couldn’t have asked for a better crash course in menu writing. Crostatas evolved into something of a personal specialty with me, as a way of using seasonal ingredients in a rustic, efficient way. Caramelized squash and pears with blue cheese was at the top of my list of favorite fillings. In this case, the pears and squash are sautéed and glazed to save time, but the recipe is a good template for just about any combination of slow-roasted root vegetables, especially carrots or beets, or sweet potatoes, whose natural sugars caramelize during roasting.