Picardy Flamiche aux Poireaux

The French Flamiche aux Poireaux is a tasty leek pie originating from the Picardy region. It is believed to be the Picardy equivalent of the quiche Lorraine since the typical leek pie is also a classic of family meals in Northern France. The plain yet tasty flamiche indeed exemplifies the irresistible French country food!

Originally called "flamique" in the Picardy dialect, the traditional flamiche is a hearty, convivial dish proper to the Santerre land in Northern France. Inspired by the Flemich gastronomy, this rish pie is mainly stuffed with chopped leeks, milk or creme fraiche and a touch of butter.

Some Picardy locals like to complement the mixture with some nutmeg, grated cheese and/or additional vegetables like carrots or broccoli.

The flamiche aux poireaux recipe first occured in the late 18th century, in a French soldier's notebook with other anecdotes of that time. The Picardy speciality is described as a "kind of galette made with baker's dough".

The authentic Picardy flamiche is oven baked in a round French pie pan for about 30 minutes. The edges of the two pastries are rolled together so that the pie is completely sealed, and some French cooks like to make a elegant design on the top crust to make the flamiche even more appetizing!

The secret for a good crispy leek pie lies in two essential stages: first, to make a small hole at the centre of the covering pastry so that steam can escape when cooking and second, once the mouth-watering tart is cooked, to spread the top pastry with butter or egg yolk to get a shiny, golden crust.

Top Tip! Why is the bottom of a leek white?

When the leek grows, its base is covered with dirt to prevent the sun from getting on the bottom part. Without sun, the leaves cannot turn green; the same process is used with the fennels.