The table of old times,
The Book of Recipes

Tourte d’Espinoches (Spinach Tart)

Period: Middle Ages / Category: dish

Ingredients

for 6 persons :

For the shortcrust pastry (dough dough) :

For garnish :

1 kg of spinach, lettuce and chard leaves, washed well and dried using a clean cloth (personally, I only use spinach)
a large bunch of flat-leaf parsley, well washed and dried using a clean cloth
a small bunch of mint, well washed and dried using a clean cloth
10-15 basil leaves, washed and dried using absorbent paper (Sopalin type)
a tablespoon of dried marjoram or oregano (or a small bunch of fresh marjoram)
5 eggs + 1 egg for browning
70 g grated Comté cheese
1 pinch of powdered ginger
1 pinch of cinnamon powder
2 tablespoons of crème fraîche
150 g of lean bacon cut into small cubes
2 pinches of salt

The preparation

1- The darkening paste :

Pour the flour into the mixer bowl (Kitchenaid type). Add the butter and salt. Mix the flour and butter with the mixer attachment until you obtain a crumble-like shortbread texture.
Add the water and mix until the dough is firm.
Transfer the dough to the work surface and knead it with the palm of your hand, without working it too much, to make it homogeneous and form a ball.
Wrap the ball of shortcrust pastry in cling film and set aside in the refrigerator. This dough can be made several hours in advance, even the day before.
Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Cut out 1 circle large enough to cover the bottom and edges of the mold and 1 smaller circle which will serve as the lid of the tart. From the remaining dough, cut out shapes with cookie cutters to decorate the pie (leaves, flowers, fleur-de-lis, etc.).
Transfer the dough to a round springform pan previously buttered and floured. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the dough and adhere it to the dough, on the bottom and on the edge. Pour baking balls (or dried beans/chickpeas) onto the baking paper, distributing them well over the entire base of the tart.
Bake in a ventilated oven preheated to 170°C for 15 minutes.
The dough is now “blind cooked”. Remove the baking balls and the parchment paper and reserve the pastry base.

2- The garnish :

Chop the vegetables and fresh herbs together (using a chopper or blender).
Blanch the diced bacon in a pan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and dry with paper towels and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the 5 eggs with the salt, cinnamon, ginger and marjoram. Add the chopped vegetables and fresh herbs, cream and Comté cheese. Mix well.
Scatter the diced bacon over the bottom of the tart, then pour in the mixture. Fold the edge of the dough over the mixture and cover with the reserved disk of dough, being careful to make it adhere well to the edge of the dough. Decorate with the dough cut out with a cookie cutter.
Place in a hot oven (200°C) and cook for 45 minutes, monitoring the cooking.
5 minutes before the end of cooking, brush the surface of the pie with the beaten egg and brown on the grill.

Historically, darkening paste, as its name suggests, was used to “darken” or to cover and protect food during cooking. In medieval Europe, pastry was used primarily as a cooking vessel rather than as an item for consumption.
Spinach, native to the Asia Minor region, was introduced to France during the Middle Ages. At that time, it was rarely consumed, although it was referenced in works like Le Ménagier de Paris or Le Viandier . During Lent, spinach was served more frequently because it was harvested early in the year. It was only under the influence of Catherine de Medici that spinach gained popularity. The name "spinach" derives from the Spanish word "espina", translated as "thorn", due to the spiny shape of the fruit of the first cultivated varieties. The varieties of spinach that we know and eat today were developed much later.