2023 Tour de France - Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny.
We are nearing the end of this year’s tour! Today, the riders traveled a hilly course through the Vosges and Jura region. This area is home to comté cheese and hearty dishes, typically surrounded in some form of pastry. Last time in this area, I made andouille and potato tarts. Today, ham and cheese with a mustardy béchamel encased in puff pastry.
Ham & Cheese Pastry
2 frozen sheets of puff pastry
3 tbsp butter
Shallot
3 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
2 tsp whole grain mustard
Nutmeg
⅔ cup of shredded comté cheese
Sliced ham
Egg
Set the puff pastry sheets out to defrost.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a sauce pan and sauté the shallot, with a pinch of salt, until softened.
Stir in the flour and cook until toasted and fragrant. Then, whisk in the milk until the flour is fully dissolved. Cook over medium heat, continually whisking for 5 minutes.
Stir in the mustard, along with a pinch of grated nutmeg and some black pepper. Let cool for a few minutes.
Briefly roll out one sheet of pastry, extending it from its original shape just slightly. Place the rolled out pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet and coat with ⅓ of the béchamel, leaving a ~1-inch border.
Top with 5 thin slices of ham and half of the cheese. Cover with half of the béchamel, 5 more slices of ham, the remaining cheese, and the last of the béchamel.
Stretch out the other pastry sheet with your hands and lay over the top. Pinch and roll the pastry closing the seams. Cut a few ventilation slits in the top layer of pastry.
Whisk together an egg yolk and a tablespoon of water and brush on top of the pastry. Season with some flaky sea salt and place in the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Once the oven reaches temperature, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until golden. Let cool for a few minutes.
Slice and serve with a zippy green salad.
______________________________ Copyright 2023, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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