flipPoitevin Tourteau Fromagé
Poitevin Tourteau Fromagé
Why this dish? Near Royan, in the Charentais and Poitevin region, the tourteau fromagé with its blackened crust sits proudly on festive and Sunday tables. It is the regional dessert of the terroir where Roussel ended his life and work.
A cake made with fresh goat cheese, with a dome deliberately blackened during baking and a soft, airy interior. The emblematic dessert of Poitou-Charentes.
Do not be fooled by its sooty appearance; this cake is a Charentais joke: under its black cap like a formal coat hides a pale and tender crumb. Here, in my adopted land, we bring it out for Sundays and baptisms. The oven must be fierce, almost insolent, to burn the dome without drying the inside — a matter of measure, again and always, like everything worth doing properly.
- •Fresh goat cheese — a good portion (batter)
- •Eggs — several (binder and lift)
- •Sugar — in proportion (sweetness)
- •Flour — a little (structure)
- •Shortcrust pastry — one base (support)
Poitevin Tourteau Fromagé
A cake made with fresh goat cheese, with a dome deliberately blackened during baking and a soft, airy interior. The emblematic dessert of Poitou-Charentes.
Why this dish? Near Royan, in the Charentais and Poitevin region, the tourteau fromagé with its blackened crust sits proudly on festive and Sunday tables. It is the regional dessert of the terroir where Roussel ended his life and work.
Do not be fooled by its sooty appearance; this cake is a Charentais joke: under its black cap like a formal coat hides a pale and tender crumb. Here, in my adopted land, we bring it out for Sundays and baptisms. The oven must be fierce, almost insolent, to burn the dome without drying the inside — a matter of measure, again and always, like everything worth doing properly.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh goat cheese — a good portion (batter)
- Eggs — several (binder and lift)
- Sugar — in proportion (sweetness)
- Flour — a little (structure)
- Shortcrust pastry — one base (support)
Ingredients
- Fresh goat cheese — 350 g (batter)
- Eggs (yolks and whites separated) — 5 (binder and lift)
- Sugar — 130 g (sweetness)
- Flour — 60 g (structure)
- Shortcrust pastry — 1 base (support)
- Salt — 1 pinch (balance)
Method
- Line a domed mold with the shortcrust pastry.
- Mix the goat cheese with the egg yolks, sugar, and flour until smooth.
- Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt, then fold them in gently.
- Pour into the mold and bake in a very hot oven (210-220°C).
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes: the dome should blacken distinctly while the center remains soft.
- Let cool slightly before unmolding and serving.
How it was made : The tourteau fromagé (or 'fromager') is an ancient specialty of Poitou and the Charentes, traditionally made with fresh goat cheese — abundant in the region. Its black crust, once the result of an uncontrolled wood-fired oven, became its sought-after signature.
The contemporary twist : A touch of lemon zest or a few drops of orange blossom water in the batter nicely perfumes the heart of the cake.
Albert Roussel · Charactorium
