Tarte flambée, an Alsatian specialty that consists of thin dough topped with creme fraiche or cheese, onions and bacon/lardons, holds a special place in our heart. It was one of the most popular dishes at the restaurant where we got engaged, and we get it every time we go there. I saw awhile ago that Trader Joe's had a version of tarte flambée called "Tarte d'Alsace" and definitely wanted to give it a try (once we finally finished all the frozen pizza we already had). I figured it could never live up to a freshly made and freshly baked restaurant version, but hoped it would be good.
Not a specialty of Trader Joe but Maitre Pierre
This Tarte d'Alsace was a variation on the traditional tarte flambée which came with ham and gruyere cheese. Unwrapping the package, it looked fairly similar to the picture on the box except the onions and ham weren't so evenly distributed throughout the pie.
The ham was red, not pink... I don't know why my phone does this in this part of the kitchen
It didn't take long to bake, but unfortunately it got a little stuck to our pan. We managed to save most of it and had a pretty satisfying lunch. The cheese was rich and creamy, the onions had that nice caramelized flavor, and the ham gave it saltiness. It wasn't as crisp or golden, especially on the edges, as it looked in the box photo, but the crust was okay.
One quarter of the pie
Buy Again? Yes, I think we would. It's obviously not as tasty as the fresh ones we can get at the restaurant but it's a lot cheaper ($4.49) and we can keep one in the freezer for when we're craving a bite of tarte flambée. A quick and easy taste of Alsace (and nostalgia).
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