DIFFICULTY: 4
2 hours and 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS PER 6 PEOPLE

For the pastry:
All purpose flour, 5 Oz
Cold butter, 2, 7 Oz
Salt
Warm water

For the filling:
1/2 Fennel bulb, about 200 g
Leek, about 200 g
Small golden onion, 1
Knob of butter, 0,8 Oz + 1
Mild extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon
Smoked pancetta cubes, 3,2 Oz
Tablespoons of flour, 2
Semi-skimmed milk, 14 Oz
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Caraway seeds, 1/2 Teaspoon

PROCEDURE

Make the pastry by putting the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add enough water and work with your hands to get a smooth and silky pastry. At first work the pastry in the bowl then put it on a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 more minutes. Let the pastry rest for 30 minutes then roll it to a rectangle that is three times longer than wider, 30 cm x 10 cm. Set the pastry aside and take the butter, flour well and roll it to a thin square of about 10 cm x 10 cm. Put the butter on top of the pastry, trying to set it in the middle of it then close the lower side and the upper side of the pastry over the butter. Roll again making sure that the butter does not escape from the sides of the pastry. Repeat the rolling and folding in three parts for a total of six times letting the pastry rest in the fridge for 10 minutes between each rolling session.

While making the pastry heat a non-stick pan and dry fry the pancetta until golden and crispy. Put the pancetta aside, drain the fat from the pan and heat a knob of butter and the oil in the pan. Thinly slice the fennel, leek and onion. Add the vegetables, a pinch of salt and the caraway seeds to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until soft stirring frequently. It’ll take about 10 minutes. Add the flour to the vegetables, cook for a minute while stirring, then add the milk little by little stirring constantly. After 5 minutes or so the flour and milk will be cooked and you’ll have a mixture of a creamy consistency. Add the pancetta and season with pepper and salt if needed.

Heat the oven to 180°C. Roll the pastry thinly enough to get 6 round of about 12 cm in diameter. Butter 6 individual tart moulds of 10 cm in diameter and put a round of pastry in each one. Pierce the pastry bases with a fork then divide the filling between the moulds and bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the tarts surface is golden and firm.
Let the tarts cool for a while on a wire rack before serving.

Thanks to: Il Deborino