Smoked Salmon Breakfast Tart

This dish requires about an hour's careful attention, but the results are so spectacular that you should think of the time as invested rather than spent.

We first encountered this dish at a Christmas Day brunch in Wooster. In the midst of a dozen dishes to kill for, this one clearly stood out. Discreet questions about its authorship led us to Ann Abrams, who, in turn, pointed us to a marginal note in what had already become our favor cookbook, Betty Rosbottom. Betty's original version called for Brie and bacon, but she suggested several variations: Roquefort and breakfast sausage, sharp Cheddar and baked ham, or, "for a sophisticated version," cream cheese and smoked salmon. We've tried a couple of these, and they are first-rate. But the "sophisticated version" is in a league of its own.

Two cautionary notes: we have never tried this without a springform pan and wouldn't recommend to anyone taking that shortcut. If you don't have one, buy or borrow one. And smoked salmon commonly goes for $20-$30 per pound. Don't hesitate to try the less "sophisticated" variations.

1. Preheat oven to 350^o.
   
   
2. To prepare the shell, start by cutting the crust from the bread. Roll each slice with a rolling pin until it is quite flat. Use about 1 T. of the melted butter to brush the bottom and sides of the pan. Place a slice of bread so one of its points reaches just up to the middle of the side of the pan. Gently press it against the side of the pan and along the bottom. The bread will not quite reach the center of the pan. Brush the slice with the butter. Place another piece of bread so it slightly overlaps the first, and mold it in the same way. Brush with the butter. Continue in this manner, using seven slices of bread to cover all but the center of the pan. Press the eighth slice into the center and brush it with butter.
   
   
3. Line the shell with foil or waxed paper, and weight down the paper with beans (2 cups) or pie weights. Bake for 12-15 minutes. The bread should be darkening around the points. Remove the weight and the paper, and return the shell to the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove the shell from the oven, but do not turn the oven off.
   
   
4. Meanwhile, dice the cheese and set it aside.
   
   
5. If you are using bacon, sausage, or ham, sauté it and reserve the grease; if salmon, melt some vegetable oil in the pan. Slice the leeks, rinse very carefully, and sauté them in the oil until softened (5-10 minutes).
   
   
6. Mix the cheese, meat, and leeks. Spread them evenly over the shell. Cover the mix loosely with foil, and bake for 10 minutes (long enough to melt the cheese and get it hot).
   
   
7. Mix the eggs with the salt and pepper. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan. Over medium-high heat, add the eggs, scrambling them and cooking them to a creamy texture. Stir in the cream. Continue mixing for a minute, long enough to heat the cream, then spread the egg mixture over the tart.
   
   
8. Garnish with the parsley or chives. Serve by cutting into pie-slice wedges.

6 servings   

Source: Betty Rosbottom's Cooking School Cookbook