flipTourteau Fromager
Tourteau Fromager
Why this dish? An emblematic specialty of Foucault's native Poitou, this goat cheese cake with its burnt top was sold at markets and bakeries in the region: a taste of Poitevin childhood recognizable among a thousand.
A cake made with fresh goat cheese baked at very high heat, giving it its famous domed and charred crust. Beneath it, an airy, light, and delicately sweet crumb.
Here is a curiosity from my Poitou: a cake whose top has been deliberately burned black. The stranger is alarmed; the Poitevin knows that under this crust of ink-black hides the tenderest crumb. Fresh goat cheese gives it its soul, and a blazing oven is needed to sear the crust. We cut slices of it at the region's markets. Do not scrape off the black: that is the whole pride of the thing.
- •Fresh goat cheese — a good lump (base)
- •Eggs — a few (structure)
- •Sugar — as needed (sweetness)
- •Flour — a handful (binder)
- •Shortcrust pastry — a base (support)
Tourteau Fromager
A cake made with fresh goat cheese baked at very high heat, giving it its famous domed and charred crust. Beneath it, an airy, light, and delicately sweet crumb.
Why this dish? An emblematic specialty of Foucault's native Poitou, this goat cheese cake with its burnt top was sold at markets and bakeries in the region: a taste of Poitevin childhood recognizable among a thousand.
Here is a curiosity from my Poitou: a cake whose top has been deliberately burned black. The stranger is alarmed; the Poitevin knows that under this crust of ink-black hides the tenderest crumb. Fresh goat cheese gives it its soul, and a blazing oven is needed to sear the crust. We cut slices of it at the region's markets. Do not scrape off the black: that is the whole pride of the thing.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh goat cheese — a good lump (base)
- Eggs — a few (structure)
- Sugar — as needed (sweetness)
- Flour — a handful (binder)
- Shortcrust pastry — a base (support)
Ingredients
- Fresh goat cheese — 250 g (base)
- Eggs — 4 (yolks and whites separated) (structure)
- Sugar — 120 g (sweetness)
- Flour — 60 g (binder)
- Shortcrust pastry — 1 base (support)
- Pinch of salt — 1 (balance)
Method
- Line a high-sided tart mold with the shortcrust pastry.
- Work the goat cheese with the yolks, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth.
- Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold into the mixture.
- Pour into the mold without exceeding the edges (the pastry will rise).
- Bake in a very hot oven (240°C) for about 30 to 40 minutes: the dome should rise and blacken distinctly. Let cool slightly before unmolding.
How it was made : Born in the countryside of Poitou, the tourteau fromager originally used goat cheese (goat farming has long been practiced there). The black crust, long considered a baking mistake that became a trademark, comes from deliberately intense baking in very hot bread ovens.
The contemporary twist : Served in bite-sized pieces with a spoonful of dulce de leche, to play on the contrast between the bitterness of the crust and the sweetness.
Michel Foucault · Charactorium
