If you’ve ever taken a class with Culinaria’s Chef/Owner Stephen Sands, chances are you’ve had the chance to taste one of his exquisite tarts. Stephen is the “King of Tarts” and he’s been known to fill them with everything from asparagus and gruyere to nutella and toasted hazelnuts. Once you master the dough (called pate brisée for savory tarts and pate sucréfor sweet) the rest is limited only to your imagination!
Recipe: Perfect Pate Brisée
Chef Stephen P. Sands
Pate Brisée is a savory dough which has a layered structure of flour interlocked with butter flakes, which melt and create the crunchy texture. Brisée, literally means “broken” indicates the texture of this crust. The butter is left in pea sized chunks when preparing pate brisée, so that it can be rolled flat to create the flakes. The standard proportions are 2 parts flour to 1 part butter. Salt is added to the savory dough and can be blind baked at once or can be left a little undercooked if it is to be filled and baked again for an extended period, such as for quiche. This same dough can be made for deserts by the addition of sugar to the dough. This is called Pate Sucré.
Ingredients:
8 oz. all purpose flour
4 oz. butter
— — pinch of salt
— — cold water
To make the dough:
1. Cut the butter into ½” to ¾” cubes and refrigerate. Make sure to keep the butter cold until you are ready to use it.
2. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter cubes and pulse the food processor 6-8 short pulses. Examine the dough. If the butter pieces are larger than small pea size, pulse again 5-6 more times. Make sure to use quick on-off pulses and not let the motor run.
3. Next add cold water (start with 4 TBSP.) and pulse the processor again 3 to 4 times. Examine the dough. Grab a small amount between your fingers and see if it will come together and hold a ball when squeezed. If it falls apart easily, add another 2 TBSP. of cold water and pulse again 2-3 times. Repeat this until when you squeeze the dough between your fingers, it holds a ball shape. The dough will still look like coarse sand or gravel. This is the way it should look. Do not process the dough in the food processor until it forms a ball, as some recipes explain. This overworks the dough and makes it tough.
4. Turn the dough out on to a piece of plastic wrap on the counter, and gather the dough in the plastic wrap and press the dough until it forms a ball. Work the dough as little as possible. It should look like it is loosely held together but not falling apart. Flatten the ball of dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow it to rest.
5. Once the dough has rested, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to warm slightly so it is pliable but not soft. If the dough is too hard, it will break apart when you try to roll it. Place the dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and roll the dough into a circle about 1″ greater than the tart pan and remove the upper sheet of plastic wrap. Lift the dough and invert it into the tart. Carefully line the dough in the tart pan and be sure to remove the plastic wrap.
6. Cut a piece of parchment paper (make sure it is parchment and not deli paper) to a diameter 2″ larger than the tart and fit it to cover the dough. Place enough baking beans on the parchment to weigh it down and cover the bottom of the tart. Blind bake the shell before adding the filling if the recipe calls for it (Blind baking is just pre-baking the tart shell before filling. This is usually done if the filling won’t be cooked or if the filling is moist so it doesn’t seep through the shell).
7. Fill with whatever inspires you (or try Chef Stephen’s recipe for Zucchini, Tomato and Three Cheese Tart below)
Recipe: Chef Stephen’s Zucchini, Tomato & Three Cheese Tart
This gorgeous tart makes an impression and is delicious served warm or at room temperature. Serve as an appetizer or along a simple green salad for dinner.
(Serves 8-12)
Ingredients:
1 recipe Pate Brisèe
2 lrg. zucchini, thinly sliced (about ⅛”)
4-6 lrg. plum (Roma) tomatoes, sliced same width as the zucchini
6-8 oz. mixed cheeses, e.g., Comté, cheddar, Gruyere, etc.
4-6 oz. Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh herbs – basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, marjoram, tarragon – any mix
Directions:
1. Line the tart pan (use a tart pan with a removable bottom) with the Pate Brisèe (recipe above). Cover with parchment paper and fill with baking beans to weigh down the paper. Blind bake at 375ºF for 10 minutes. Remove the beans (save for another use) and the parchment paper. Bake for 2-3 minutes more to brown the bottom of the crust. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before proceeding.
2. Spread the cheeses (any combination of hard cheeses can be used, such as cheddar, Gruyère, Manchego, etc.) on the bottom.
3. Alternate overlapping tomato and zucchini slices over the cheese in rings, covering the entire tart. Season with salt and pepper. Be careful not to use too much salt because the cheese contains differing amounts of salt naturally.
4. Bake in the center of the oven at 400ºF for 20-25 minutes or until the edges of the tart begin to turn golden brown. Remove and allow the tart to cool slightly. This tart can be served cool (room temperature) as well as warm.
