Breakfast Tart with Pancetta and Green Onions
This is a wonderful tart for breakfast or add a salad and it makes a great lunch/dinner. Even better the next day. Recipe from Food Magazine.
This is a wonderful tart for breakfast or add a salad and it makes a great lunch/dinner. Even better the next day. Recipe from Food Magazine.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 9 inch unroll and bake refrigerated pie crust
- 1 large egg white lightly beaten
- 3 ounces pancetta cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese at room temperature
- 8 ounces gruyere cheese shredded
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- Carbohydrate 1.51695640816 g
- Cholesterol 186.10447541 mg
- Fat 22.6361327484956 g
- Fiber 0.181031244635582 g
- Protein 15.00775471111 g
- Saturated Fat 10.6979242908919 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (95g)
- Sodium 352.447647616 mg
- Sugar 1.33592516352442 g
- Trans Fat 2.22333193631522 g
- Calories 269 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place over rack in center of the oven.
- Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Unroll the pie crust and gently press into the bottoma and sides of the pan, trim off any excess.
- With the tines of a fork, prick the bottom of the pastry, using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the beaten egg white. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes, until the egg white has set. Let cool 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-heat. Add the panchetta and cook, stirring frequently for 6-8 minutes (until golden brown) and drain on paper towels.
- In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs, whisk in the mascarpone, gruyere, scallions, salt, pepper and panchetta. Pour into the cooled crust and bake for 18 minutes (until set and top is golden brown).
- Cool the tart for 10-15 minutes and remove from the pan. Cut and serve warm or at room temperature.
Golden pastry frames a rich, custardy center flecked with bright green scallions and savory morsels of cured pork. European morning tarts traditionally rely on leftover bits of cured meats and dairy scraps, transforming humble kitchen remnants into structured meals. Italian cured pork belly brings a concentrated, salty depth that cuts through rich dairy without requiring expensive specialty cuts. French pastry techniques adapted this concept into enclosed or open-faced tarts where eggs and cream bind various cured proteins and cheeses together. Mascarpone adds a buttery tang that distinguishes this formulation from standard quiches made entirely with heavy cream or milk. Shredded gruyere melts evenly within the custard, providing structural integrity as the slices cool and set. Room temperature eggs incorporate smoothly into the cheese base without seizing the fats, ensuring a uniform texture throughout the filling. Blind-baking the pastry crust at 400 degrees for 10 minutes prevents the bottom from becoming soggy under the weight of the liquid custard. Brushing that same unbaked dough with beaten egg white creates a moisture barrier before the filling goes into the oven. Cooking the pancetta pieces over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes renders out excess fat so the meat achieves a crisp texture instead of a chewy bite. Allowing the baked tart to rest for 10 to 15 minutes off the heat lets the proteins finish firming up, yielding clean wedges when sliced.
