Recipe: Tarte au libouli

Name: Tarte au libouli
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 8.75 oz (250 gr) of flour; 1 egg; 0.4 cup (10 cl) of lukewarm milk; 0.4 oz (10 gr) of baker's yeast; 0.2 oz (5 gr) of fine salt; 1.75 oz (50 gr) of caster sugar; 2.8 oz (80 gr) of butter; for the libouli:2.75 cups (65 cl) of milk; 4 eggs; 4.25 oz (120 gr) of powdered sugar vergeoise (or brown sugar); 2.25 oz (65 gr) of flour; a little melted butter

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (17 reviews)

Prep 20 min

Cook 45 min

Total 1h05

Servings 6 serv.

Tarte au libouli is a thick leavened pastry topped with an egg and brown sugar custard. Two hours of resting and rising, then 40 to 50 minutes baking at 170-180°C. The libouli filling takes 5 minutes: eggs whisked with vergeoise, flour, then boiling milk poured in. It's a Northern specialty, sweetened without being heavy, with a texture between pastry cream and flan.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

8.75 oz (250 gr) of flour
1 egg
0.4 cup (10 cl) of lukewarm milk
0.4 oz (10 gr) of baker's yeast
0.2 oz (5 gr) of fine salt
1.75 oz (50 gr) of caster sugar
2.8 oz (80 gr) of butter

for the libouli:

2.75 cups (65 cl) of milk
4 eggs
4.25 oz (120 gr) of powdered sugar vergeoise (or brown sugar)
2.25 oz (65 gr) of flour
a little melted butter

Step-by-step directions

Dough preparation:
1/ First mix the yeast with the lukewarm milk, then in a bowl, put the flour, make a well in the center (fountain), break 1 egg into it, add the salt (0.2 oz (5 gr)), the powdered sugar, the milk mixed with the yeast and 2.8 oz (80 gr) of butter cut into small pieces. work quickly then spread it in your tart pan and let it rest for 1 hour, covered at room temperature.

1 meanwhile bring 2.75 cups (65 cl) of milk to a boil.
3/ In a bowl mix 4 whole eggs with 4.25 oz (120 gr) of powdered vergeoise sugar (or brown sugar) you blanch (mix vigorously)
4/ Then add 2.25 oz (65 gr) of flour, stir with a whisk then pour the boiling milk while mixing well.
5/ Put it all back in the pot and on the heat. stir with a whisk for 2 minutes of boiling.
6/ Pour onto a plate put a little melted butter on top and let cool.
7/ Preheat the oven to 170-355°F (180°C) (gas mark 6)
8/ Pour your lukewarm cream onto the dough and bake for 40 to 50 minutes in the oven.

A chef's advice

Tarte au libouli is a classic from Northern France, typically served on Sundays or for family meals. It's not a rare occasion cake, more the kind you make when you have time and want to please without fuss. Historically, it's a homemade pastry dish born in kitchens where you'd let dough rise in the morning and bake in the afternoon. The ideal season is autumn and winter, when eggs are at their best and you crave comforting sweetness. Vergeoise is complete brown sugar from the North, more moist and mineral than regular brown sugar, but you can use either depending on availability. For wine pairings, skip the classic sweet wines. Prefer a slightly sparkling white like Vouvray demi-sec, or simply Blanquette de Limoux brut. The acidity cuts through the cream's richness. Otherwise a Beaujolais village served cool works well. For serving, enjoy it warm with black coffee or fresh milk, that's all. Northern locals eat it straight from the oven while it's still slightly warm.

Frequently asked questions

Can vergeoise be replaced with ordinary white sugar?

Yes, it works fine. White sugar will give a paler libouli with less mineral note, but the result is just as good. Vergeoise just adds a rounder flavor. Use the same quantity.

How to prevent the libouli from curdling or separating during cooking?

The classic mistake. Pour boiling milk very gradually while whisking constantly, otherwise eggs cook unevenly. Once in the pan, gentle heat with continuous whisking for 2 minutes creates a stable emulsion. No rushing.

How long does tarte au libouli keep?

Three days refrigerated under plastic wrap. Freezes well whole, maximum 3 weeks. Thaw at room temperature, then reheat 10 minutes at 150°C. Loses some softness, but still fine.

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Wine Pairing

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Which innovative culinary concept, notably developed by Ferran Adrià (though of Spanish origin), has greatly influenced modern French chefs, particularly advocates of molecular and creative cuisine?

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