I watched Chef Michel Richard make this recipe on a Cooking with Julia Child episode and had to try it. You can switch up ingredients any way you’d like, but this preparation worked nicely. I love making this for my Thanksgiving main course! Serve with a caesar salad and a pinor noir or pinot gris.
Recipe
1 lb. puff pastry, thawed overnight
For the Eggs:
3 T. butter
8 eggs
1 T. chopped fresh chives
1 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. snipped fresh tarragon
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Spinach:
16 oz. frozen spinach, thawed, and liquid squeezed out
1 T. olive oil
1 T. unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
3 T. heavy cream (or half and half)
Rest of Filling:
8 oz. Swiss cheese (or gruyere), thinly sliced
8 oz. smoked turkey (or ham), thinly sliced
16-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
1 large egg beaten with 1 T. water and a pinch of salt
Generously butter an 9-inch springform pan. On a lightly floured work surface roll both sheets of pastry together. Cut off 1/4 and set aside, covered. Roll out pastry to fit the pan and go up the sides, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Carefully fit the pastry into the pan, pressing to get a smooth fit. Roll out the smaller piece of pastry for the top to fit width of pan (9-inch diameter) and set aside on plate. Use dough scraps for cut-out designs, like leaves, and place on a separate plate. Cover all with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, butter, garlic, and drained spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 3 T. cream. Sauté for a few minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool down, cover and refrigerate.
In same saucepan on low heat, melt 3 T. butter and then add the eggs, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up and combine. Add the herbs, salt and pepper. Gently but constantly stir the eggs, pulling the eggs that start to set into the center of the pan. Slide the eggs onto a plate, without mounding them, cover and chill. You want a loose, soft scramble since the eggs will be baking for a little over an hour.
Remove the pastry-lined springform pan from the refrigerator and layer the filling ingredients evenly in the following order: *half the eggs *half the spinach *half the turkey *half the cheese *all the roasted peppers laid flat. Continue layering in reverse order: *remaining cheese *remaining turkey *remaining spinach *remaining eggs. Spread each layer to the edge of the pan, using a spatula for the eggs and spinach.
Fold the excess crust (1-inch overhang) in over the filling, and brush the rim of crust you’ve created with the egg wash. Center the rolled-out top crust over the tourte and gently push the edges down into the pan, pressing and sealing the top and bottom crusts along the sides. Brush the top with the egg wash and cut a vent hole in the center of the crust. Add the pastry leaves and eggwash them too. Chill for 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Place the tourte on a sheet pan, give it another coat of egg wash, and bake 1 hour-15 minutes. Let rest on a rack until it reaches room temperature. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan and release the sides. Let cool for 30 more minutes before cutting.
— Chef Michel Richard
