flammekueche AKA tarte d'alsace

Leo and I have been saying that we'd make our own version of the Trader Joe's Tarte d'Alsace for nearly two years. Tonight, we made it, a Flammekueche of sorts.

Flammekueche or Tarte flambée is a well-known Alsacian speciality. It is like pizza in that a thin crust of dough is baked in a very hot oven, but its topping is primarily crème fraîche, onions, and bacon. Like many traditional regional dishes there are innumerable ways of preparing it.

Preheat oven to 450F. (If using a pizza stone, preheat the oven for at least 30 minutes.)

1 bag Trader Joe's pizza crust
1 medium onion (3 ounces), finely sliced
½ cup crème fraîche, commercial or homemade (see note)
½ cup gruyere, shredded
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 pinches nutmeg
3 ounces (about two strips) bacon, cut into matchsticks

1. Cook bacon until light brown, stirring constantly. Remove and drain on paper towels, reserving about a TBSP of bacon grease in the pan.
2. Add the onion to the pan and cook in bacon grease, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
3. Combine the crème fraîche, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooled onion.
4. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a 14x16- inch baking sheet and lightly flour the paper. Roll the dough until slightly smaller than the baking sheet. Place it on the sheet. Spread the onion mixture over the dough, leaving a very small margin all the way around, then dot with the bacon.
5. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes near the top of the oven.
   
6. Carefully remove pizza from cookie sheet, slide it onto a wooden cutting board or pizza peel, then slide pizza off board and back onto oven rack placed on lowest rung of oven for another 2 to 3 minutes. Tart should be lightly browned & bubbling. Burned/blackened edges are traditional -- if that's what you want, bake for 4 minutes. Serve very hot.

NOTE: To make crème fraîche, combine 1 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons buttermilk, stir, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, or until it has become very thick. Refrigerate, and it will become even thicker.