La tarte flambée, or flamme-küche, is a speciality from Alsace.

Imagine the thinnest pizza base covered with crème fraîche, lardons, onions, and if gratinée, rapé. In the oven, and oplà, piping hot under your nose!

I’m not entirely sure it’s pizza base, because you do not sense any yeast and there no proofing involved, but every time I ask they say it’s pizza dough…

I’m a speaking a strange language? Yes, I know and it’s called French!

Let’s get to the anatomy of this Alsatian staple:

The base: I’m not entirely sure it’s pizza base, because you do not feel any yeast and there is no proofing involved, but every time I ask they say it’s pizza dough…

Crème Fraîche: it’s basically a very thick (aka very fat) and not so acidic sour cream. They make a thin layer of it over the pizza base.

Lardons: it’s stripes of think bacon, not smoked. They lay them over the crème fraîche.

Onions: they cut them thinely but not to much, and they go on the same layer of lardons.

In case the tarte flambée is gratinée, over the crème fraîche they put a layer of rapé, grated gruyere cheese.

They are cooked in wood or electric oven, at a very hot temperature, like pizza.

It’s one of the most delicious crunchy dish I’ve ever tried!