French tarts use chèvre instead of cream cheese because goat's milk curdles at lower temps, giving that tangy custard-like set.
Homemade Zucchini, Salmon & Fresh Goat Cheese Tart
Savor the taste of summer with our mouthwatering Zucchini, Salmon, and Fresh Goat Cheese Tart! This vibrant dish combines tender zucchini, flaky salmon, and creamy goat cheese nestled in a golden, flaky crust. Perfect for a sunny day, this tart is sure to impress your family and friends at any gathering!
Prep
15
min
Cook
45
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This tart's backbone is the quiche Lorraine, invented in medieval Lorraine and hijacked by Parisian bistros in the 1950s who swapped bacon for salmon and goat cheese, borrowing Provence's love affair with chèvre—somewhere between Nancy and Nice, a Lorraine farmhouse staple became this coastal French hybrid, proving the French can't stop meddling with their own regional classics, and thank goodness for that.
Regional Twist
Down in Provence's Var region, they'd swap half the liquid cream for crème fraîche and toss in sun-dried tomatoes alongside the zucchini, giving this Lorraine-Provençal tart a tangier, sun-baked Mediterranean punch that makes the salmon taste like it's holidaying on the Riviera.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 1 grosse courgette
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 2 pavés de saumon
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 4 oeufs
- 150g de chèvre frais (5.29 oz)
- 20cl de crème liquide (6.76 fl oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- Sel et poivre
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 càs de moutarde à l’ancienne (30 ml)
📦Other(2)
- 20g de ciboulette fraîche (0.71 oz)
- 1 pâte brisée (j’ai posté la recette de ma pâte express hier)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
645
Protein
27g
Carbs
28g
Fat
48g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Slice the zucchini and sauté for 10 minutes in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil until they have released their moisture.
- 2
Cut the salmon fillets into cubes and chop the chives.
- 3
Whisk the eggs with the liquid cream, salt, pepper, and chives.
- 4
Roll out the pastry thinly, prick the bottom of the tart, and spread half of the fresh goat cheese with the mustard.
- 5
Place the zucchini on the pastry, pour the egg mixture, and top with the salmon cubes and the remaining goat cheese.
- 6
Bake for 45 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt your zucchini slices to 2-3% by weight (about 1/2 tsp per 200g zucchini) 15 minutes before sautéing to osmotically extract moisture before cooking, reducing the water content from 95% to ~85% and preventing a soggy tart.technique2-3% salt by weight, 15 minutes pre-salting
- ✓Pat the sautéed zucchini completely dry with paper towels before assembly because residual moisture will dilute your custard and increase baking time by 10-15 minutes, risking overcooked eggs.technique10-15 minutes additional baking if moisture remains
- ✓Blind bake your pâte brisée at 200°C for 12-15 minutes weighted with beans before filling to gelatinize surface starches and create a moisture barrier, preventing sogginess even with the wet vegetable-custard filling.timing200°C for 12-15 minutes weighted
- ✓Use a 4:1 egg-to-cream ratio by volume (4 eggs to 20cl cream) because this achieves 165-170°C internal custard set-point; excess cream delays protein coagulation and risks salmon overcooking at the tart edges.ingredient4:1 egg-to-cream ratio
- ✓Add salmon cubes in the final 2 minutes before baking rather than before pouring custard, as salmon proteins fully denature at 63°C in 6-8 minutes; placing it on top ensures it reaches exactly 63°C when the custard hits 70°C (properly set), not the 75-80°C of deeper placement.timingAdd salmon 2 minutes before baking, target 63°C internal
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
45
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
French tarts use chèvre instead of cream cheese because goat's milk curdles at lower temps, giving that tangy custard-like set.
Homemade Zucchini, Salmon & Fresh Goat Cheese Tart
Savor the taste of summer with our mouthwatering Zucchini, Salmon, and Fresh Goat Cheese Tart! This vibrant dish combines tender zucchini, flaky salmon, and creamy goat cheese nestled in a golden, flaky crust. Perfect for a sunny day, this tart is sure to impress your family and friends at any gathering!
The Story
This tart's backbone is the quiche Lorraine, invented in medieval Lorraine and hijacked by Parisian bistros in the 1950s who swapped bacon for salmon and goat cheese, borrowing Provence's love affair with chèvre—somewhere between Nancy and Nice, a Lorraine farmhouse staple became this coastal French hybrid, proving the French can't stop meddling with their own regional classics, and thank goodness for that.
Regional Twist
Down in Provence's Var region, they'd swap half the liquid cream for crème fraîche and toss in sun-dried tomatoes alongside the zucchini, giving this Lorraine-Provençal tart a tangier, sun-baked Mediterranean punch that makes the salmon taste like it's holidaying on the Riviera.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 1 grosse courgette
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 2 pavés de saumon
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 4 oeufs
- 150g de chèvre frais (5.29 oz)
- 20cl de crème liquide (6.76 fl oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- Sel et poivre
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 càs de moutarde à l’ancienne (30 ml)
📦Other(2)
- 20g de ciboulette fraîche (0.71 oz)
- 1 pâte brisée (j’ai posté la recette de ma pâte express hier)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
645
Protein
27g
Carbs
28g
Fat
48g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Slice the zucchini and sauté for 10 minutes in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil until they have released their moisture.
- 2
Cut the salmon fillets into cubes and chop the chives.
- 3
Whisk the eggs with the liquid cream, salt, pepper, and chives.
- 4
Roll out the pastry thinly, prick the bottom of the tart, and spread half of the fresh goat cheese with the mustard.
- 5
Place the zucchini on the pastry, pour the egg mixture, and top with the salmon cubes and the remaining goat cheese.
- 6
Bake for 45 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt your zucchini slices to 2-3% by weight (about 1/2 tsp per 200g zucchini) 15 minutes before sautéing to osmotically extract moisture before cooking, reducing the water content from 95% to ~85% and preventing a soggy tart.technique2-3% salt by weight, 15 minutes pre-salting
- ✓Pat the sautéed zucchini completely dry with paper towels before assembly because residual moisture will dilute your custard and increase baking time by 10-15 minutes, risking overcooked eggs.technique10-15 minutes additional baking if moisture remains
- ✓Blind bake your pâte brisée at 200°C for 12-15 minutes weighted with beans before filling to gelatinize surface starches and create a moisture barrier, preventing sogginess even with the wet vegetable-custard filling.timing200°C for 12-15 minutes weighted
- ✓Use a 4:1 egg-to-cream ratio by volume (4 eggs to 20cl cream) because this achieves 165-170°C internal custard set-point; excess cream delays protein coagulation and risks salmon overcooking at the tart edges.ingredient4:1 egg-to-cream ratio
- ✓Add salmon cubes in the final 2 minutes before baking rather than before pouring custard, as salmon proteins fully denature at 63°C in 6-8 minutes; placing it on top ensures it reaches exactly 63°C when the custard hits 70°C (properly set), not the 75-80°C of deeper placement.timingAdd salmon 2 minutes before baking, target 63°C internal