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Leek and Roquefort Cheese Tartlets

Source of Recipe

From "Wine Bites" by Barbara Scott-Goodman


Recipe Introduction

"Roquefort cheese and leeks are a luscious combination, and they mingle tastefully in every sense of the word in these rustic but elegant free-form tartlets made with puff pastry. Both Cabernet Sauvignon and red Zinfandel pair well with the pungent cheese flavor in these tarts."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ 3 large leeks, rinsed and finely chopped
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 ¼ cups Roquefort cheese, crumbled
â—¦ ½ cup crème fraîche
â—¦ One 17.3-ounce package puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed if frozen
â—¦ Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish


Recipe

Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer the leeks to a large bowl, add the cheese and crème fraîche, and stir gently to mix.

Roll out each pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface into a 10-inch square. Cut each sheet into four squares. Using a small knife, score a ½-inch border around the inside edges of each square, being careful not to cut through the pastry. Arrange the squares on two rimmed baking sheets.

Position one rack in the top third of the oven and another rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 400° F. Spoon the filling over the pastry squares, leaving a ½ inch border. Bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets and continue to bake until the crusts are puffed and golden and the filling is cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Garnish the tarts with the thyme sprigs and serve.

Makes eight 5-inch square tartlets;
Serves 8 to 16