Unused puff pastry never hangs out long in my kitchen. Mainly because when planning a recipe, either laziness or time constraints compel me to throw the homemade crust idea out the window. Consequently, to pull the puff pastry out of the freezer is a much easier solution. That’s how this Bratwurst Leek cream Tart was born.
Initially, I had lofty healthy New Year ideas about creating a cauliflower or whole grain crust for this Bratwurst Leek Cream Tart. Then I caved and pulled out the fallback puff pastry option for this Brat. So much for healthy New Year’s recipes. Sigh.
Jump to RecipeThe tart has a herby-leek cream layered on top of golden, crunchy puff pastry. Then, rounds of beef bratwurst are scattered on top.
Once I made the sour cream base for the tart, it was all downhill anyway. Double sigh. However, you can substitute a low-fat version of the sour cream to reduce calories and fat. Ditto for low-fat yogurt.
All you need to do to create this Bratwurst Leek Cream Tart is cut the leeks into rings. Sauté the leeks in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Season with a bit of sugar, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Separately, whisk sour cream together with eggs and a bit of lemon juice. Add freshly chopped parsley and oregano. Fold the leeks in. Roll out the puff pastry onto a baking sheet. Top with the leek cream. Cut up the bratwurst on top, bake for 30 minutes and done.
Substitutions
As mentioned above, swap out the full-fat sour cream for lower fat or no fat version. Low or no-fat yogurt also works. For the green stuff, I like Italian flat parsley and fresh oregano in this recipe. However, feel free to use whatever your favorite fresh herbs are. Alternately, chop up a variety of what you already have in your refrigerator. Furthermore, the bratwurst can be any version you prefer. Beef, pork, poultry or vegetarian.
Lastly, a word on cleaning the leeks for this Bratwurst Leek Cream Tart If you rinse, cut off the ends and chop them into rings you will find dirt between the layers. To avoid this, chop the ends off. Then, loosen the layers and rinse excess soil under running water, making sure you get in between the layers.
Bratwurst Leek Cream Tart
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb leeks
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Salt & Freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish.
- 1+1/4 cups sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 bratwurst, sliced into rounds
- 1 sheet puff pastry
Instructions
-
Clean the leeks and cut into thin rings.
-
Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently until the leeks have softened.
-
Season with sugar, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
-
Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
-
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, eggs and lemon juice.
-
Add the 1/2 cup parsley and tablespoon of thyme, mix and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
-
Fold the cooked leeks into the cream mixture.
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Roll the puff pastry sheet out onto a lightly floured surface. Transfer to the baking sheet.
-
Spread the leek cream out onto the puff pastry.
-
Evenly distribute the cut bratwurst over the top.
-
Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
-
Remove from oven, let cool for 10 minutes.
-
Garnish with fresh parsley and oregano. Cut and serve.