Flammekeuche (‘flam eh koosh’) is a rustic specialty from the Alsace region of France. Resembling a large pizza, the traditional version of this dish consists of very finely rolled out bread dough, covered with a thin layer of crème fraiche and topped with thinly sliced onions and lardons – all baked in a wood-fire oven.
My friend Veronique at Cuisine Elegante introduced me to this mini form of the Alsatian classic during one of her online cooking classes. I have since made this very tasty appetizer on multiple occasions and people simply love them. Using store-bought, ‘ready rolled’ pizza dough saves time and the little canapés come out crispy and easy to eat.
Lardons are the key to this recipe. Some U.S. supermarkets carry them (including Wegman’s and Trader Joe’s, typically near the uncured pork in the butcher case and not next to the bacon) although they are sometimes labeled ‘Diced Pancetta’. Ask your butcher, but if you cannot find lardons, buy a piece of thick slab bacon and cut into 1/3-inch thick matchsticks. Here’s a helpful, short article from Bon Appetit magazine about lardons.
Mini Flammekueche Appetizers
Servings: 4
Active time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
Need: round 3-inch (7-8-cm) cookie cutter or use a glass
1 rolled out, thin pizza dough (round or rectangular)
1 small yellow onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
7-ounces (200 g) lardons (see third paragraph above)
2 tablespoons of thick, full fat crème fraiche or sour cream
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or full fat plain yogurt
Preheat the oven to 445° F (230°C).
Peel the onion and cut in half lengthwise. Slice into thin half rings. Heat the oil and butter in a medium-sized frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften (but not darken). Transfer to a small bowl.
Add the lardons to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes over medium-high heat (cooked,
but not browned). Turn off the heat and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the crème fraiche and yogurt. Spread out the pizza dough and using the cookie cutter (or a glass), cut out 8 to 10 equal-sized discs. Place discs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place a teaspoon of the crème fraiche/yogurt mixture in the middle of each pizza dough disc and spread out in an even layer, leaving 1-cm around the edges (save what you don’t use for serving). Distribute the cooked onions evenly over each disc. Then add the cooked lardons on top of each disc. Sprinkle
with a tiny bit of salt.
Put the baking sheet in the lower part of the oven for about 12-14 minutes. Keep an eye on them – the pizza dough should be golden, but not burned.
Serve immediately or make ahead and reheat for 3-5 minutes in a hot oven just before serving. I like to serve the mini flammekueches with a little extra dollop of the crème fraiche/yogurt on top or let guests add it themselves if they choose.
And bon appétit!
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