My late Dad was a firm believer in the old chauvinistic motto, “Real men don’t eat Quiche!” In fact, he called it ‘Egg Pie’, just to disrespect it a notch further. But he was actually referring to his Mom’s Egg Tarte – which is not really a Quiche at all!
Elegant Fruit Tarte: With a pastry Cream base, topped with colourful,
tasty fresh fruit, and sealed with a classic Apricot Glaze…
English Tarte is not a specific recipe, but a ‘format’; a technique which can lend itself to either sweet or savoury variations. And it’s often mistaken for a classic French Quiche. But there’s a richer, much broader tradition at play, here…
The big picture
As our main headline suggests, the Quiche and the Tarte are just two members of a widespread family, members of which cane be found across the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
They all have some key characteristics in common. But they can vary considerably in the way they treat their eggs. And whether they customarily have a crust or not. Most are traditionally used in either sweet or savoury applications. Some lend themselves to both.
Tarte vs. Quiche
Most cooks with even a little experience will know that a quiche is basically a savoury custard, which can feature classic theme ingredients such as Spinach (Florentine), and Lorraine (Ham or Bacon, and Cheese).
In fact, you can put almost anything you want into a quiche as long as you choose complementary ingredients and flavours. The eggs are like a blank canvas on which a creative chef can express their wildest conceptions.
Under the skin
The tarte (see photo, top of page) looks very similar, but is markedly different under the skin… While it’s generally accepted that the French Quiche is a direct descendant of the Italian Frittata, the Tarte comes from the French border region of Alsace.
The first difference you notice between the tarte and a quiche is, the tarte is much shallower. In fact, they make shallow, scallop-sided baking dishes specifically for tartes.
But the real differentiation comes in the filling. Quiche are almost exclusively savoury. Tartes can be savoury or sweet. And some don’t use custard-based fillings, at all. French and English dessert tartes often feature fruit fillings with a classic apricot glaze on top.
Classic Tarte filling
In a creamy, French tarte, the cream is usually a heavy version, 18 percent or higher. And you incor-porate the cream with the onions, not the eggs.
Milk will not thicken on its own, because it doesn’t have enough fats and solids. You can use milk instead of cream if you want to limit the nutritional excess of the dish. But blend the cold milk thoroughly with a tablespoon or two of flour to ensure the creamy matrix sets properly during baking.
This is a common technique experienced cooks employ to ensure they achieve a smooth, creamy filling every time for their classic scalloped potatoes…
My take
The other ‘quiche cousins’ – Omelet, Strata, Frittata, Tortilla Espagñole (Spaniah Omelette) – are basically that: Quiches with or without crusts baked in the oven or cooked on the stove top according to their own specific traditions.
There are even more, if you care delve deeper into other European and even Asian cuisines. But they transcend this scope of this post. If you’re interested in exploring further… That’s what Google does best!
Me? I’ll always think of the Sweet English tarte as the classic expression of that form. And if I want something savoury, I’ll whip up a Quiche. But offered a Frittata or a Tortilla Espagñole, I’ll devour it with just as much enthusiasm and appreciation!
~ Maggie J.