Tarte aux mirabelles

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Tarte aux mirabelles
TypeTart
CourseDessert
Place of originFrance
Serving temperatureHot or cool
Main ingredientsMirabelle plums; pastry

Tarte aux mirabelles is a sweet French dish, combining pastry and mirabelle plums (stones removed). It is a speciality of Lorraine in north-east France, where the mirabelle is an important crop. It also features in the cuisine of other regions of the country.

Background[edit]

The mirabelle plum has been cultivated since at least the 17th century.[1][2] The Dictionnaire de l'Académie française and the Oxford English Dictionary both give the probable derivation of the name as Mirabel, a fairly frequent toponym in the south of France.[1][2] A tart made with mirabelles is traditional in Lorraine and its neighbour Alsace and is found in other parts of France.[3][4]

Pastry[edit]

The type of pastry used for tarte aux mirabelles varies. The most frequently mentioned in recipes is pâte brisée,[5][6] but other sweet pastries – pâte sablée and pâte sucrée – are specified by some cooks,[7][8][9] and unsweetened shortcrust and puff are also used in some recipes.[10][11] In Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, Elizabeth David encountered a tarte aux mirabelles made with yeast pastry: "Those little round golden plums of early autumn on their light brioche-like base made an unexpected and memorable end to our outdoor feast".[4]

Composition[edit]

The traditional tarte aux mirabelles consisted solely of fruit, pastry and a little sugar sprinkled on top before cooking. Some more recent recipes, including that of Albert and Michel Roux, have introduced a layer of crème pâtissière spread on the pastry base before the layer of fruit is added.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "mirabelle", Dictionnaire de l'Académie française. Retrieved 7 March 2023
  2. ^ a b "mirabelle". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  3. ^ Ates, Barbara. "Tarte aux mirabelles façon alsacienne", Marie Claire Cuisine et Vins. Retrieved 7 March 2023
  4. ^ a b David, p. 74
  5. ^ a b Roux, p. 79
  6. ^ Willan, p. 118; "Recette tarte aux mirabelle", recettesdalsace.com. Retrieved 7 March 2023; "Tarte aux mirabelles d'Alsace toute simple", Je vais vous cuisinier. Retrieved 7 March 2023; and "Tarte aux mirabelles", Marmiton. Retrieved 7 March 2023
  7. ^ Kayser, p. 16; "Tarte aux mirabelles et pâte sablée à la poudre d'amande", Chef Simon. Retrieved 7 March 2023
  8. ^ "Tarte sablée aux mirabelles", Cuisine Actuelle. Retrieved 7 March 2023
  9. ^ Tarte aux mirabelles à la pâte sucrée de Christophe Michalak", 36 Quai des saveurs. Retrieved 7 March 2023
  10. ^ Lenôtre, p. 180; and "Tarte aux mirabelles", Taste Atlas. Retrieved 7 March 2023
  11. ^ "Tarte aux mirabelles", Encore un gateau. Retrieved 7 March 2023; and "Tarte aux mirabelles", 750g. Retrieved 7 March 2023

Sources[edit]