Tourte Milanaise

adapted from Michel Richard

This Tourte Milanaise recipe is a version of the popular French savory pie, a perfect breakfast for Christmas morning.

 Favorite French prep1 hr cook1 hr 10 mins total time2 hrs 10 mins servings8 – 10 addedApril 2020

If using purchased puff pastry, roll both sheets together to make 1 lb, then cut off ¼ lb for the top of the torte. Use any scraps to cut out designs for the top, if desired.
Generously butter an 8½-inch springform pan. Cut off one quarter of the pastry, cover, and set aside. Roll out remaining puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface to a ¼-inch thick round. Carefully fit the pastry into the pan, pressing to get a smooth fit, leave a 1-inch overhang. Roll out the smaller piece of pastry until it is ¼ inch thick. Cut out an 8-inch circle of dough for the top of the torte and lift it onto a plate or baking sheet. Cover both the crust and the lid with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling. If using scraps for cut-out designs, like leaves, place the cut-outs on a separate plate, cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge along with top and lined springform pan.

Whisk eggs, herbs, salt and pepper together. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat and pour in the eggs. Gently but constantly stir the eggs around in the pan, pulling the eggs that set into the center of the pan. Slide the eggs onto a plate, without mounding them, and cover immediately with plastic wrap. You want a loose, soft scramble since the eggs will be baking for a little over an hour.

Place whole and untrimmed, directly over the flame of a gas burner. As soon as one portion of a peppers skin is charred, turn the pepper. When black and blistered all over, drop into a bowl...cover with plastic wrap and let steam (I throw them all in a paper or large plastic bag and seal it shut) for about 20 minutes. Use your fingers to rub off skin - DO NOT rinse under water; you lose flavor. Cut each pepper once from top to bottom, cut away the stem, then open the peppers and lay them flat. Trim away the inside veins and discard the seeds; season peppers with salt and pepper and set aside, covered, until needed.
Alternatively, lay the peppers on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler, turning them as each side chars, then continue as instructed above.

Alternatively, lay the peppers on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler, turning them as each side chars, then continue as instructed above.
The peppers release a lot of liquid once roasted. Make sure the peppers are dry (blot with paper towels) before adding them to the tourte. I cut up the roasted peppers because sometimes you end up with large or whole pieces pulling out with each forkful.

In a large quantity of boiling salted water for 1 minute to blanch it. Drain spinach in a colander, rinse with cold water, and press it to extract all of the excess moisture. Heat the oil, butter, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Add blanched spinach and sauté for 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and add the heavy cream if using. Bring quickly to a boil and stir so it mixes with the spinach, letting it reduce. Remove the spinach from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside. Once it’s cooled, squeeze as much liquid out as you can, and season with a little more salt and pepper before adding it to the tourte.

Place half of the fully cooled scrambled egg mixture into the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the spinach, evenly distributed to cover the eggs. Place half the ham slices evenly on top of the spinach to cover the full surface area. Place half the cheese slices evenly on top of the ham. Now use all the roasted red peppers to make a nice even layer of red, this will be the center of the pie. After the peppers, cover with the remaining cheese, then the remaining ham, then the remaining spinach, and finally the remaining eggs. Try to get nice even layers that are flat, fill to the edge of the pan and do not bulge in any one spot. This will give your pie a nice clean profile when you slice into it.

Fold the excess crust 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 torte and gently push the edge of the top crust 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 in the center of the crust. Use the point of the knife to etch a design in the top crust, taking care to cut only halfway into the dough.
Chill the fully loaded tourte for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.

Twenty minutes prior to baking; position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
Place the torte on a jelly-roll pan, give it another coat of egg wash, and bake it for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until puffed and deeply golden. Remove from the oven and let rest on a rack until it reaches room temperature. Run a blunt knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan and release the sides. Let cool for 20 - 30 minutes before cutting. I let it cool for 1 hour before cutting because it still felt like it would fall apart upon cutting after 30 minutes.