Featured Recipe
Prosciutto Tart Snack
By Kate
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Flaky puff with tangy endive swapped for bitter radicchio, parmesan swapped for aged Pecorino. Hazelnuts switched to walnuts for crunch and earthiness. Sweet pickles replaced by tart green olives, chopped fine; adds briny lift. Cooling crème fraiche replaces heavy cream for tang and lightness. A peppery herb salad of arugula and chervil tops it all, minted olive oil dressing. Baking cues focus on golden edges and rising crust, not clock. Crisp texture contrasts creamy cheese spread and tender greens. Balanced bitter, salty, creamy, and bright.
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Prep:
35 min
Cook:
25 min
Total:
60 min
Serves:
6 servings
snack
finger food
French-inspired
vegetables
cheese
Introduction
Working with puff pastry demands precision. Proper chilling keeps the dough relaxed and manageable—no unhappy springbacks or uneven puffs. Keeping edges defined means scoring not cutting. Watch out for soggy spots under fatty meats like prosciutto—dry thoroughly or pat off excess moisture. Radicchio’s bitter punch stands up well against rich cream and salty prosciutto. Swapping in Pecorino amps savory depth compared to Parmesan’s milder profile. Crème fraiche gives a richer tang and thicker spreadable body than cream. The toasted nuts and briny olive topping cadence finishes it well, crisp, fresh, slightly tart. Perfect for nibbling, no need for heavy forks or plates. Learn to read your oven’s signals—golden, puffed dough, faint nutty smell from nuts roasting, slight crackle when tapping tart bottom. All cues showing that timing is right, always better than clock alone.
Ingredients
Tart
- 160 g puff pastry dough, rolled rectangular 35 x 18 cm
- 15 g finely grated aged Pecorino Romano cheese
- 45 ml crème fraiche (approx 3 tablespoons)
- 1 small radicchio, shredded
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 55 g thin prosciutto slices, torn into bite pieces
- 12 g arugula leaves (about 1/3 cup packed)
- 30 ml fresh chervil leaves (2 tablespoons)
- 25 g toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely diced green olives (pitted)
- 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- Parmesan cheese shavings, optional
Topping
About the ingredients
Puff pastry is delicate — not too warm or sticky or it becomes a pain to handle and won’t puff right. Flour your surface liberally but shake off excess flour so base stays flaky, not doughy. Cheese variety changes result significantly; aged Pecorino offers sharper saltiness and complexity. Crème fraiche spreads thick and tangy but won’t self-run like cream. Radicchio introduces bitterness, similar to endive but more pronounced; substitute with frisée or kale if desired, but precook kale slightly or chop finely to avoid toughness. Olives pack a different punch than sweet pickles; briny, salty, assertive. Walnuts toasted fresh intensify flavor; watch closely, nuts can go from toasty to burnt in seconds. Use neutral or fruity olive oil, not overpowering or rancid, for dressing herb topping. Parsley replaced by chervil; milder flavor layered atop peppery arugula. Keep herbs fresh and crisp to contrast tart hot softness.
Method
Proposal & Prep
- Oven rack low, preheat to 210 C (410 F). Line baking sheet with parchment or silicone mat.
- Lightly flour surface to avoid sticking. Roll puff dough out to 35 x 18 cm rectangle. Trim ragged edges for clean lines. Use knife tip to score a rectangle 1.2 cm from edges but do not cut through the dough. Prevents puffing over edges, creates crust border. Chill assembled base 20 minutes to relax gluten and prevent shrinkage.
- Stir grated Pecorino with crème fraiche in bowl. Rest 12 minutes to let cheese fully hydrate and meld flavors. Avoid watery mix. Texture should be spreadable, not runny. Spread mixture over chilled dough, leaving border clear.
- Scatter radicchio and shallot evenly over cheese layer. Radicchio adds earthy bitterness instead of endive's mildness. Top with torn prosciutto bits. Using torn pieces rather than slices improves texture, avoids oily greasy spots.
- Slide tart onto preheated baking sheet. Watch for dough edges puffing tall and turning golden brown; bottom should sound hollow when tapped. Bake 20-25 minutes. If edge browns too fast, reduce heat slightly or shield with foil mid-bake. Cooking time depends on oven, dough thickness.
- While tart bakes, combine arugula, chervil, walnuts, diced olives, and olive oil. Toss gently. Crush walnuts lightly but leave large pieces for crunch contrast.
- Once tart golden, edges crisp, remove from oven. Let cool 5 minutes; serve warm but not hot. Scatter herb mixture over top last minute to preserve freshness and texture. Garnish with Parmesan shavings if desired.
- Cut into rectangles along scored lines. Robust contrast of flaky crust, creamy cheese, bitter radicchio, salty meat, and zesty olive-herb crunch.
- If dough shrinks during chilling, rest longer at cooler temperature. Keep prosciutto dry—pat if too moist—it prevents soggy spots.
- No radicchio? Substitute frisée or finely sliced kale, lightly wilted.
- No walnuts? Toasted pecans or almonds work well though flavor differs.
- Crème fraiche adds tang and light richness; sour cream is fallback. Avoid heavy cream—too runny for spreading. Replace olives with capers for different punch.
- Watch baking closely. Puff pastry goes from perfect to dark quickly. Edges golden with uniform rise signal doneness. Bottom crispness test important but do not flip hot tart.
Filling assembly
Baking
Herb topping
Serving
Tips
Technique Tips
Scoring puff pastry edges creates a defined border preventing filling spillover and promotes uniform puff rise—a small technique with big impact. Resting cheese with crème fraiche allows flavors to marry and thickens the mix, avoiding runny spreads that sog dough. Baking temperature and position matter hugely; bottoms need crispness without burning edges; placing rack low in oven ensures heat reaches lower dough layers. Watch dough puff and golden clues, not timer — pastry gets perfect once puffed high, golden and crispy at edges, sounds hollow tapped bottom. If edges brown too fast, tent foil to slow coloration; slow even bake prevents burnt bitter crusts. Herb topping is last-minute; add warm tart to maintain those fresh peppery-chervil flavors and nutty crunch. Serve warm, not piping hot, so filling sets a bit and holds shape on cutting. Cutting along scored lines ensures clean portions without tearing soft filling.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Chill dough longer if it shrinks in fridge. Hot dough is a nightmare. Use plenty of flour but shake off excess. Want flakiness, not sogginess. Aim for golden edges. That’s your sign.
- 💡 Avoid greasy spots with prosciutto. Pat dry before adding. Torn pieces work better than slices. Layer for texture. Creamy spread means cheese mixed well with crème fraiche. Not runny, just right.
- 💡 If radicchio isn’t available, frisée can fill in. Kale needs pre-cooking or fine chopping. Flavor changes with each substitution. Olives bring briny zest. Capers can swap in too.
- 💡 Watch your baking closely. Oven timing isn’t easy with puff pastry. Look for big puffs and golden tips. Check bottom with tap test. Sounds hollow, it’s done. Edges can burn quick.
- 💡 Last-minute adds matter with herb topping. Keep greens separate till serving time. Preserve freshness that contrasts with warm tart. If serving later, herbs may wilt. Better crisp and bright.
