Best 9 Alsatian Appetizers Recipes

TARTE FLAMBEE (ALSATIAN BACON & ONION TART)

Steps:

• Place bacon in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat until cooked but not crisp and fat has rendered out, about 8 minutes. Drain in a strainer; reserve the fat.
• Place skillet back over medium heat. Add sliced onions. Cook briefly just until they lose their raw edge and soften up slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Add a teaspoon or 2 of bacon fat if pan seems too dry. Remove skillet from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Mix fromage blanc, creme fraiche, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a mixing bowl.
• Place 1 ball of pizza dough on a well-floured surface. Flatten and roll out to a 10- or 12-inch thin circle. Transfer to a cold cast iron pan. Heat over medium-high heat to pre-cook the bottom of the crust. As dough heats and bubbles appear, deflate them with the tines of a fork so crust ends up thin and crisp (not chewy). When bottom is nicely browned and just about to start getting charred, 5 to 7 minutes, remove from heat. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Spread a generous amount of cheese mixture over the crust. Top evenly with some onions and then the bacon. Broil 5 or 6 minutes until edges are browned and starting to lift. Repeat for remaining tartes.

ALSATIAN CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch square, then transfer to a large baking sheet.
• Blend cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth.
• Cook bacon in a 10-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to brown, about 5 minutes. (Bacon should be tender, not crisp.) Remove from heat.
• Spread cheese mixture evenly over pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Scatter bacon and onion on top, then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake until pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into 36 pieces and serve warm.

ALSATIAN CHOUCROUTE

Steps:

• Wash sauerkraut thoroughly, put aside. In a rondeau melt the duck fat and saute the onion until tender, add garlic bay leaves, juniper berries and thyme. Saute until golden brown, deglaze with Reisling wine. Add 1/2 of the sauerkraut, place bacon slab and ham shanks in the middle and then top with remaining sauerkraut. Pour chicken stock over making sure it covers the sauerkraut (if not enough, add water). Cover the pan with foil and place in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 1 1/2 hours. Wash red bliss potatoes and steam whole for 30 to 40 minutes. Peel potatoes and set aside. Cut sausages in half and warm in boiling water. Place pork chops in oven to warm. Take sauerkraut out of the oven and remove bacon and ham shanks. Slice the bacon in half. Remove pork chops out of oven. Place sauerkraut in the center of a large oval tray, place all meats around sauerkraut, place bacon and ham shanks, on top of sauerkraut. Place warm potatoes around with the meat, Serve Dijon mustard on the side.

ALSATIAN CHOUCROUTE GARNI

Steps:

• Make a spice bundle: Place spices, bay leaves, and garlic on a square of cheesecloth; tie into bundle with kitchen twine.
• Heat oil in a very large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add bacon, pork butt, and spice bundle. Cover with sauerkraut. Add wine and enough water to come 1 inch below sauerkraut. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and simmer 45 minutes.
• Add potatoes and carrots. Cover; cook until almost tender, about 20 minutes.
• Using a skewer or the tip of a paring knife, poke a few holes into each sausage to prevent them from bursting. Place kielbasa in a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning often, until browned, about 8 minutes. Put all sausages into the Dutch oven; cover, and cook until heated through, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausages and vegetables to a plate. Drain sauerkraut, and arrange on a serving platter. Arrange sausages and vegetables on top. Garnish with parsley, and serve with mustards.

ALSATIAN ONION AND BACON TARTLETS

Steps:

• Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons water and process using on/off turns until mixture forms moist clumps, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball. Shape into log. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut dough crosswise into 12 equal slices. Roll out each slice on lightly floured surface to 6-inch round. Transfer each round to 4-inch-diameter tartlet pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Trim off excess dough. Pierce bottom with fork. Refrigerate 10 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Sauté bacon in large pot over medium heat until brown, about 9 minutes. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from bacon. Add onions to bacon and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Cool.
• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir 2 minutes (do not brown). Gradually whisk in milk. Increase heat to medium-high and boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Whisk yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot sauce. Mix in onion mixture, salt, pepper and nutmeg. (Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and chill.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tartlets on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, pressing bottom and sides with back of fork if crust bubbles, about 18 minutes. Cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Spoon filling (about 1/4 cup) into each tartlet. Bake until tops begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tartlets to racks and cool slightly. Remove from pans. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

ALSATIAN APPLE SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• Combine flour, butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add 3/4 of the white wine and mix into a smooth dough. Add more white wine as needed, but avoid making dough too soft. Shape into a ball, flatten, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Peel apples and cut in half. Remove core and place into a bowl with cold water and lemon juice to prevent browning.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a rimmed baking sheet with butter and dust with flour.
• Roll chilled dough out into a rectangle slightly larger than the baking sheet. Transfer dough to the baking sheet and press some of the dough up the rimmed sides to make an edge. Pierce all over with a fork.
• Place apple halves cut-side down on a cutting board. Make several parallel cuts without cutting all the way through the apple. Arrange apples all over the dough. Sprinkle evenly with 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until apples start to lightly brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Combine eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until very foamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Beat cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into the egg mixture.
• Remove cake from the oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Pour egg-cream mixture over the apples and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar.
• Bake until cream topping is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

ALSATIAN CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch square, then transfer to a large baking sheet.
• Blend cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth.
• Cook bacon in a 10-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to brown, about 5 minutes. (Bacon should be tender, not crisp.) Remove from heat.
• Spread cheese mixture evenly over pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Scatter bacon and onion on top, then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake until pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into 36 pieces and serve warm.
• Makes 36 hors d'oeuvres.

ALSATIAN TARTE FLAMBEE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Cut into disks about 3-1/4 to 4 inches in diameter and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet.
• Leave in freezer until dough is frozen.
• Mix together quark, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Remove crusts from freezer.
• Poke pastry with a fork.
• Spread cheese mixture equally on each crust.
• Sprinkle with onion and bacon.
• Bake on bottom rack of oven for ten minutes, or until bottoms of pizzas are a dark, golden brown.
• Serve warm.

ALSATIAN POTATO PIE

Steps:

• Cover potatoes with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of salt; cook until just tender, 13 to 15 minutes. Drain. Let cool.
• Bring 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons cream, garlic, and nutmeg to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until mixture is reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add leek; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400°. Whisk egg yolk and remaining 1 table- spoon cream in a small bowl; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, divide puff pastry into two 6-by-13-inch rectangles. Set one rectangle on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Top with half of potatoes, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around and overlapping slightly, then half of leek mixture and 3/4 cup cheese; season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering with remaining potatoes, leek mixture, and cheese. Brush edges of pastry with egg wash. Cover with remaining pastry rectangle; gently press edges with a fork to seal. Cut 2-inch slits lengthwise in center of crust, 2 inches apart. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with parsley sprigs. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Bake until golden brown and puffy, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven; pour cream mixture into pie vents with a funnel. Bake 10 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.