Leek Potato and Garlic Flamiche
A flamiche is a type of leek quiche or savoury pie from the Picardy region of France. This Leek Potato and Garlic Flamiche is more on the quiche side of things.
I feel the need to explain.
French cuisine is one of my favourites. Admittedly the list of my favourite cuisines is quite long. But I’ve loved French food the longest.
I’ve also never met a French person who couldn’t cook. Anytime I say this to a French person they shake their heads as if to say such a thing is not possible. But it is. They can all cook. I think they’re taught to cook in primary school. We should do that here. Cooking is so enjoyable and you will eat healthier if you know how to cook.
So I was thinking about doing something classic like coq au vin or maybe a vegetarian version of tomates farçies. But then I came across a recipe for flamiche aux poireaux and I thought – oh yeah I’d love some quiche…
I looked up a few recipes and a lot of very different pies and quiches seemed to get labelled a flamiche. I even found a recipe – that looks very appetizing – which has curry powder in the pastry.
The only unifying element with flamiches seems to the leeks. So I thought why don’t I remake the wild garlic quiche but with leeks and actual garlic. So that is what I’ve done.
But then as I was starting to write to this I was just checking which region the Flamiche hails from. And I saw the top result was a wikipedia page which was very definite about just what a flamiche is. And this quiche is none of those things.
It does have some leeks in it though. Well, one.
Why am I calling this a flamiche? In fairness, there are many dishes out there calling themselves flamiches. I could have fried some bread in eggs, topped it with wine and thyme braised leeks and melted gruyère cheese and called it a flamiche. Actually that sounds really good…
France
I’ve been to France many times. I love the country – and the language – and the food. And the people there are friendly. Just learn some French.
Let me give you some links of things to do there:
- 18 Top-Rated Things to Do in France
- 10 Tips for Your First Trip to France
- OK, this is for the gluten-tolerant but you can take a class in how to make a baguette or some French pastries at La Cuisine Paris. I did the baguette one years ago and it’s fun.
- It is surprisingly easy to be gluten-free in France though. Here is a 2020 guide. Crêperies usually offer gluten-free buckwheat pancake options. And most of the big cities seem to have a gluten-free bakery or two – so you don’t even have to forego the pastries!
- Here’s a short list of offbeat places to visit in France. Atlas Obscura had 542 offerings! That’s too much. I’m sure Fort la Latte is mentioned somewhere there. It’s a 14th Century fort in Brittany that is well worth a visit – and take the tour, it’s interesting. The film, The Vikings, was filmed there. I haven’t seen that movie actually. I’ll have to take a look.
Ingredients
- 25g walnuts
- 75g buckwheat flour
- 75g gf plain white flour (or rice flour)
- 90g butter, chilled and diced
- 1 tablespoon of beaten egg and yoghurt mixture
- 2 tablespoons of whole milk
- 4 tablespoons of natural yoghurt
- 4 eggs
- nutmeg
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- butter
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 shallot, diced small
- 1- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 baked potato, peeled and diced
- bunch of chives, chopped small
- bunch of parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Crack the eggs into a deep bowl. Add a pinch of salt, some freshly grated black pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg. Beat until well combined and then beat in the natural yoghurt.
- Add the walnuts to a food mixer and blend until they have reduced to a crumb-like consistency.
- Add the flours to the mixer and pulse until the nuts and flour are all well combined.
- Next add the diced butter and pulse until the butter has combined well with the flour - it should have a large-crumb-like consistency.
- Now add in the whole milk and a tablespoon of the egg-yoghurt mix to the food mixer. Blend until it forms a dough ball or until it has come together like pastry dough.
- Remove the dough from the mixer and place in some oiled cling film in fridge for an hour. Put the eggs and yoghurt mix in the fridge also.
- After the dough has chilled take it out from the fridge, dust a large flat surface with some gluten-free flour and roll out the pastry.
- Line a 7" quiche tin with pastry. If the pastry breaks when you are transferring it to the tin - this often happens - just smoosh it together in the tin.
- Dip a pastry brush into the egg-yoghurt mix and brush a thin layer over the pastry in the tin before baking.
- Bake the pastry base at 180 C for 15 minutes.
- While the pastry is baking, gently sweat the leaks and shallot in a little olive oil and butter, until softened.
- Add the garlic, chives, parsley, leeks and shallot into the egg-yoghurt mix and mix together well.
- Next carefully stir in the diced potato. And if you love nutmeg add in another grating of fresh nutmeg.
- Bake in the oven at 180 C until the filling is just solid - about 30 minutes. You'll know by giggling the dish a little, if the middle moves it's not done yet.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes or so.
- Serve with a crisp salad in a vinaigrette. Enjoy!
