Flamiche is a savory pastry found in France's Nord-Pas de Calais region. It is made from short crust pastry dough and filled with a leek, cream, and cheese filling. The traditional recipe calls for two different pieces of cheese. In addition, it is flavored with nutmeg.
The name Flamiche comes from the Picard dialect word Flamiche, meaning "Flemish cake." This refers to the dish's origin, which was brought to northern France by Flemish settlers in the 16th century. In French, it is also referred to as Tarte à la Flamande ("Flemish tart").
A Flamiche is a French tart originating from the Picardy region filled with vegetables. The most popular version, Flamiche aux poireaux (leek Flamiche), is a sweet crust filled with leeks, chicken stock, cream, and eggs. Other popular arrangements are made with asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, or peas.
Several names for Flamiche
There are several theories about the origins of the name Flamiche. In old French, it could mean "flaming tart" because of the way it's baked in an oven; this theory is supported by the fact that a similar tart in Belgium is called Flamiche au Maroilles because it's baked in a pottery dish called a maroille. Another theory suggests that the name comes from a contraction of Flan à la Mâche. And finally, some believe it comes from the Flemish word velamen (to burn).
What is Flamiche in English?
"Flamiche" is a French tart and you can make it by taking help from delightedcooking website. It can be made with fruit or vegetables, depending on the season. It's popular in the Nord region of France, where it's traditionally eaten during Lent.
In English, "Flamiche" is translated as "tart," although it's more specifically a type of tart called a "quiche."
Origin of Flamiche
Flamiche originated in the middle Ages. It was a way to use up leftovers from Lenten fasts, which involved abstaining from meat and dairy products. However, like most things the French do with food, they elevated it to an art form that went beyond mere leftovers.
The word "Flamiche" derives from the Flemish word "vlaamse flensjes," which means Flemish pancake. Flamiche is similar to a pancake but bakes into a quiche-like dish instead of frying in a pan.
History of Flamiche
The Flamiche is a specialty of the Nord-Pas de Calais region in Northern France. It's a quiche made with fromage Blanc, a creamy, fresh cheese made from cow's milk. The recipe has been around since the Middle Ages and was originally eaten by farmers and fishers after returning from their hard days' work.
While eating a Flamiche is fairly easy, pronunciation can be quite challenging. A good way to remember how to say it would be to think of it as a combination of the French words for "flame" (flamme) and "mushroom" (champignon).
The classic recipe for the Flamiche;
- Originates from the village of Houle in Pas-de-Calais, where it's called Flamiche au Maroilles.
- The dish is best known for its use of Maroilles cheese, an orange-colored cow's milk cheese with a strong smell and salty taste.
In addition to Maroilles cheese, other regional ingredients used in this dish include leeks, onions, and eggs. But depending on your location and personal preference, you can play around with the recipe by adding or replacing certain ingredients with others.
Taste of Flamiche
Flamiche is a French pie made with Fromage Blanc, eggs, cream, and leeks. The result is a smooth, creamy filling; the leeks add enough bite and zing to make it interesting. The crust is especially buttery and flaky — it's more like puff pastry than your usual pie crust.
The leek Flamiche is baked in a round, short crust pastry crust and topped with Gruyere cheese. The special appeal of this dish comes from its contrasting textures – the buttery pastry crust and the crispiness of the cheese complement the rich filling on top. The flavors, too, come together to produce a delicious symphony – the rich custard filling and the nutty Gruyere cheese are perfectly paired with the delicate flavor of leeks.
Popularity of Flamiche
How did the Flamiche get its name? "Flamiche" means "cake" in Picardy's dialect.
Flamiche has traditionally been baked in a large heavy-bottomed ceramic dish called a "terrine." It was often cooked on an open fire or in coals.
It's not just the personal reasons that make Flamiche famous in the UK. There are also many other reasons to make Flamiche famous:
- Flamiche is a portion of comfort food and is quite familiar in the UK. However, it is quite different from other dishes and has a unique taste that makes it stand out.
- It is a healthy dish as it contains leeks which are very beneficial for health. It does not have too much oil or butter, so it is not unhealthy. Your kid can eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with no side effects. It is best to have this dish in lunch as it will fill you up and keep you full for a long time.
- In short, Flamiche is a tasty, healthy dish with so many benefits that makes it famous in the UK, especially among kids and teenagers.
Flamiche is a French Tart
Flamiche is a Northern French tart with a buttery, flaky crust and a filling of crème Fraiche and cheese. Popular fillings include Camembert, Roquefort, Brie, or goat cheese. There are many regional variations, including the Flamiche Maroilles from the North of France and the Tarte à la Flamande from Belgium."
Flamiche with puff pastry
This is the perfect light lunch or starter dish to share and prepare in advance. The key to the dish is to cook the leeks until they are soft but still retain their bright green color.
Flamiche is the name of a classic French tart made with cream and leeks, but it can also refer to any savory tart. These tarts are simple to make and can be served as an appetizer or a main dish, give it try by using recipe of oliviascuisine website.
Flamiche is one of those easy to prepare but looks impressive;
- It's great for entertaining, although I have to say I've become a bit addicted to making them for myself lately.
- A Flamiche makes a perfect vegetarian main dish for lunch or dinner, especially when serving it with a side salad.
These tarts are typically made with yeasted dough similar to brioche called pâte brisée levée, but you can also make them puff pastry. I prefer puff pastry because it makes the tarts easier to prepare, and they still taste good.
Flamiche Facts
- Flamiche is a variety of quiche from northern France. It is a specialty of Picardy (Aisne, Somme, and Oise) and Nord-Pas de Calais regions.
- In these regions, Flamiche is made with leeks and cream, but it is made with cream, gruyere cheese, and onions in the most common version.
- The word 'Flamiche' comes from the Occitan word 'Flamenca,' which means a woman from the Low Countries.
- In the Low Countries, Flamiche has been known since at least the 14th century; in Picardy and Artois, it appeared during the Reign of Terror or possibly later during the French Revolution.
- At that time, there was a great famine in these lands, and many people died because of this. It was known as 'the Great Famine' or 'the Great Hunger.
- The name Flamiche was given because it was made with ingredients available: flour, eggs, and milk (or water).
- The bread used to be baked in an earthenware pot called a 'poule.' This dish used to be called
There are two main types of Flamiche:
Flamiche au Maroilles: This version is made with Maroilles cheese and lardons, small pieces of bacon. It is a powerful dish, especially if you use the cheese at its full strength. I usually make it when we have friends over for dinner because it is delicious and very easy to make.
Flamiche aux Poireaux (Leek Flamiche): This is the most common version of Flamiche. It is made with leeks, cream, and cheese (usually Gruyère or Emmental). This Flamiche makes a great lunch or an elegant light dinner paired with a good salad and a glass of cold Chardonnay.
Fillings for Flamiche
Flamiche is a traditional pie from Nord-Pas-de-Calais in northern France. It is also known as Flamiche aux poireaux (leek Flamiche) or tarte à la Flamande. Flamiche is made with cream and eggs mixed with flour to make thick pastry dough. The pastry is then rolled out and placed inside a flan dish. The filling for this particular Flamiche is made with bacon lardons, leeks, and cream.
The pastry can be made either by hand or in a food processor;
- Once the pastry has been rolled out, it needs to be left to rest in the fridge before baking so that it doesn't shrink when it is cooked.
- Leave the pastry to rest for at least an hour or leave it overnight if you want to make the pastry ahead of time.
Many recipes suggest using crème Fraiche instead of cream in this recipe, but I prefer using cream as it is in the recipe of cooking nytimes website, because it isn't as thick as crème Fraiche and fills the gaps between the leeks better when they are laid on top of the flan case.
Flamiche is a dessert or Pie
Believe it or not, Flamiche is a savory pie and not a dessert. It's a quiche-type dish made with leeks and cream, much like the French tart Flamiche aux poireaux. This version of the dish was a favorite of Henry IV of France, who was fond of eating big helpings of this savory pie with his favorite wine.
When it comes to preparing the pastry for Flamiche;
- You have the option to either use puff pastry or short crust pastry. The most common combination for this dish is a short crust pastry filled with leeks, crème Fraiche, and bacon.
- What sets Flamiche apart from quiche is that it's baked without a crust — at least in the most traditional version. A handful of recipes will add puff pastry on top of the filling; some include a bottom crust as well — but that's not what you ordinarily find in a French restaurant or bakery.
The dish is sometimes referred to as a "tart," as in "Tarte à la Flamiche" or "Flamiche aux poireaux" (leek Flamiche). It originated in the region of Flanders before spreading throughout northern France and Belgium.
Flamiche pizza
Flamiche pizza is a French pie made with a cheese tart crust topped with caramelized onions and cream. The dough is enriched with eggs and butter, and the filling is a mixture of Gruyere cheese, milk, eggs, and nutmeg. The resulting Flamiche pizza is similar to a quiche or baked omelet but even better!
The Flamiche is a traditional recipe from Northern France. It's a leek tart made with puff pastry, regular pie dough, or bread dough. This recipe uses bread dough because it's easy to make and similar to the original Flamiche;
- You can also use the same dough to make a cheese and onion tart or an onion tart with potatoes on top. I love this recipe because it doesn't require you to make a complicated dough or custard, but it still tastes good and is full of flavor!
Flamiche Picarde
Flamiche picarde, or Tarte Flamiche, is a flan (tart) of Picardy in northern France. The Flamiche is made with pastry dough and a filling of cream, eggs, cheese, and leeks. The result is a sweet and savory dish. It can be served hot or cold.
Flamiche picarde is a traditional quiche-like pie that hails from Picardy, a northern region of France.
- It's made with cream, eggs, and goat cheese and is traditionally baked in a fluted tart pan.
- The pastry dough used for this dish is more tender and buttery than the dough usually used for quiche because it doesn't require rolling out. Instead, you press the dough into the pan with your fingers.
So we can say that Flamiche is traditionally made from leeks and cream and served on Good Friday or Easter lunch. However, many regional variations use seasonal ingredients like asparagus and cherries, making Flamiche an all-year treat that's easy to prepare.
