• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Mad about Macarons
  • Recipes
  • French Food Guides
    • All Guides
    • Market Guide (fruit & veg)
    • Best Paris Tea Rooms
    • Food Travel From Paris
    • Paris Pâtisseries & More
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • French Food Guides
    • Fruit & Veg
    • Paris Tea Rooms
  • Videos
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home • Recipes • Classic French Dishes

    French Leek Pie (Flamiche)

    Published: Nov 12, 2021 · Modified: May 24, 2023 by Jill Colonna16 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A popular French winter classic, Flamiche Leek Pie. A vegetarian recipe from Picardy usually served as a starter (entrée) in Parisian brasseries. It's as easy as Leek Pie! The secret is the touch of curry powder in the homemade pie crust.

    Buttery leek pie

    What is a French Flamiche?

    A French Flamiche is a regional northern speciality of Picardy, originally called a Flamique by the locals.

    The Flamiche is a warming seasonal buttery leek pie, seen on many winter menus in Parisian brasseries or bistros. Typically it is served as a slice as a starter (French entrée). What's more, it just so happens to be a vegetarian recipe.

    French leeks from the Parisian farmers market

    No olive oil is used. As it's a French classic from the North of France, instead it uses good butter.

    Some variations to the classic include cheese and other vegetables such as pumpkin, but the most popular you'll find are made simply with plain leeks, nothing more. For non-vegetarians, add some bacon or lardons.

    how to clean and prepare leeks

    How to Prepare Leeks

    My youngest daughter (now a student so is making her own food) asked me how to prepare leeks the other day. That's when I realised I should perhaps mention this here.

    As we buy them straight from the farmers' market (more on the leek page), there's rather a lot of dirt hidden inside them. By cutting off the green tops (⅔ from the top), cut through horizontally in the middle in order to clean out the dirt inside each layer under running water.

    pan of sliced leeks

    Buttered Leeks for the Pie Filling

    The leek pie filling is simple: basically buttered, softened leeks, crème fraîche, nutmeg and seasoning.

    Slice the cleaned leeks and toss over a medium heat for 5 minutes in melted unsalted butter.  As it's often difficult to find good quality salted butter, I like to use unsalted butter and add a good pinch or two of French fleur de sel salt. Turn them around, lower the heat, cover the pan and leave them to soften for about 15 minutes. Then leave them to cool with the lid off so that there's no condensation, making them soggy.

    pie dough ingredients

    The Secret Ingredient in the Pie Dough

    I strongly recommend making your own pie dough or pastry for this Flamiche. Especially as I love to add the secret touch of curry powder into the pastry for a special homemade touch. Adding a touch of curry powder enhances the leeks' flavour. Once you try this, I'm sure you'll want to do this again with also a chicken or left-over turkey pie for the holidays!

    Roll out the pastry not too thick. A thin pastry-like dough for this leek pie makes it particularly light. Blind baking the pastry just for 15 minutes using baking beans ensures that the crust will be crisp and not become soggy later with the leek filling.

    leek pie crust with baking beans

    When topping the pie with the third of pastry dough that's left, make a hole in the middle. Insert a "chimney" by rolling a piece of parchment baking paper or aluminium foil to let any air escape during baking.

    Then brush over with the 4th egg yolk to ensure a lovely pie glaze.

    brushing egg yolk glaze on a pie

    Can I Use Puff Pastry for the Pie Base?

    For busy gourmets, you can skip making the pie dough and simply prepare it using ready-made puff pastry. Although ensure it's good quality "pure butter" puff pastry (look for Pâte feuillétée 'Pur Beurre' in France).

    If you use ready-made puff pastry, then cooking times will be quicker. Just follow the cooking instructions on the packet.

    However, the whole point of making this French Flamiche is to make your own pie crust. I find that this pie dough recipe is particularly light, easy to roll out and is beautifully buttery.

    How to make Flamiche, or French Leek tart

    Recipe Using 4 Yolks

    This is also a good egg yolk recipe for macaron, financier and meringue lovers who need the egg whites to make them. You'll find recipes for these in my books.

    What Can I Make With the Leftover Egg Whites?

    As the egg yolks need to be used straight away, the good news is that egg whites can keep stored in a sealed jar for up to a week! Here are some egg white recipes to use them:

    • extra light chocolate mousse;
    • sesame tuiles;
    • coconut macaroons (rochers coco)
    • financiers (French almond teacakes)

    leek pie on plate with slice removed to see inside

    Flamiche Recipe - French Leek Pie

    Buttery leek pie

    French Flamiche Leek Pie

    Jill Colonna
    A typical French winter classic, Flamiche Leek Pie. A vegetarian recipe from Picardy usually served as a starter or entrée in Parisian brasseries. It's as easy as Leek Pie! The secret is the extra touch in the homemade pie crust.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Light Lunch, Starter
    Cuisine French
    Servings 8 people
    Calories 494 kcal

    Equipment

    • 28cm/11 inch diameter pie tin

    Ingredients
      

    Leek Pie Base

    • 350 g (12oz/3 cups) Plain flour (all-purpose)
    • 175 g (6oz/¾ cup) Butter (unsalted) softened
    • pinch Fleur de sel salt
    • 7 tablespoon Milk
    • ½ teaspoon Curry powder

    Leek Pie Filling

    • 900 g (2lb) Leeks (about 4-5 medium) chopped
    • 40 g (1.5oz/3 tbsp) Butter
    • 4 Organic egg yolks 3+1 for glaze
    • 200 g (7oz/¾ cup) Crème fraîche 12% fat (or light cream/Greek yoghurt)
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    • pinch Salt & pepper

    Instructions
     

    Pie Dough

    • In a large bowl, sift the flour then add the butter, milk, salt & pepper and curry powder (if using).  Whizz together in a mixer until the dough is well blended, or mix by hand until smooth.
    • Split the dough in 2 (⅔ and ⅓), reserving the smaller one in the fridge wrapped in cling-film.  With the ⅔ part, roll out the dough on to a lightly floured work surface to form a circle (30cm for a 28cm/11 inch diameter pie tin, or 2cm more than your tart pan).  Transfer and push well in to a buttered pie tin (no need if using non-stick).
      Leave to chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes then preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C/400°F/Gas 6).
    • Place a sheet of baking paper over the tart base and top with ceramic beans or rice.  Blind-bake in the oven for 15 minutes, remove the baking beans then leave to cool. Remove the rest of the dough from the fridge to bring up to room temperature and roll out to a circle the size of your tart pan.

    Leek Filling

    • Remove the root bases and about ⅓ of the green leaves, then clean the leeks by cutting down the tops on either side and wash under the tap to remove all dirt from the inside layers. Cut the leeks into ½ cm rounds.
    • Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until golden.  Turn down the heat, cover the pan and leave the leeks to soften gently for 15 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.  Uncover and set aside to cool.
    • Beat the 3 egg yolks in a small bowl then add the crème fraîche, salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix until smooth.
    • Spread the leeks on to the pastry base then evenly pour over the egg mix.  Cover with the 2nd pastry circle, pressing the edges together to seal well.  Crimp the edges of the pastry with a fork or make lines using a knife, and finish with a pastry roller to remove any rough edges and seal.
    • Beat the remaining egg yolk and brush over the pastry to glaze. Pierce a small hole in the middle of the pastry and insert a "chimney" with a small roll of baking paper or aluminium foil to leave the air to escape. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown.  Leave to cool for about 10 minutes and remove from the tin directly on to a serving plate.

    Notes

    Delicious with a glass of chilled Pinot Blanc from Alsace, or a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire or Bordeaux.
    Puff Pastry: This Flamiche can be made by using ready-made puff pastry (ensure it's good quality 'pure butter'), although the secret to this recipe is the homemade pie dough, as the touch of curry just takes this to another level.
    Measures: Please note that all my recipes are best made using digital kitchen scales in precise metric grams. Both ounces (and cups) are given as an approximate guide. 
     
    Keyword Flamiche recipe, French Leek Pie, French vegetarian recipe, how to make pie crust from scratch, recipe 4 egg yolks

    This recipe was first published on 22 January 2016 but is now updated with new images and text has been completely refreshed.

    More Classic French Dishes

    • glazed round almond tart topped with toasted slivered almonds, a flower and French macarons
      French Almond Cake (Le Saint-Germain)
    • sweet pastry dough or pate sucree for a tart, pricking with a fork for even baking
      Pâte Sucrée - Sweet Pastry for Tarts
    • plate composed of a classic French salad Nicoise with many ingredients next to a basil plant and French baguette
      French Niçoise Salad (Salade Niçoise)
    • baking tray of stuffed zucchini boats topped with cheese, breadcrumbs, nuts and herbs
      Stuffed Zucchini (Courgettes farcies)
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    Jill Colonna standing in a French patisserie lab holding a giant whisk over an oversized mixer bowl

    Meet Jill Colonna

    Jill is both Scottish and French and author of the book and blog, Mad About Macarons since 2010. Here she shares over 30 years of experience of living the healthy food life with her French family in Paris - via easy recipes and local food guides in France.

    More about Jill

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Please leave a comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Made this? Rate this recipe...




    1. June S

      December 31, 2022 at 6:51 pm

      5 stars
      Having tasted this it is truly amazing. I loved it and want to make this often. Leeks are plentiful in my area.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 06, 2023 at 3:52 pm

        So happy you like this - and leeks are healthy too!

        Reply
    2. Charlotte Chichester

      March 06, 2022 at 1:29 pm

      5 stars
      A really delicious recipe, the only query is what size is your pan dish please and how many does it feed.
      Thanks
      Charlotte

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        March 06, 2022 at 2:34 pm

        Hi Charlotte,
        THanks for your feedback - although I'm confused, as the pan dish size and how many it feeds is already in the recipe card. Please let me know if you can't see it, as I'm always trying to improve the technicalities of things here. It serves 8 as a starter - although depends if you're serving as a main dish, in which case, it may be for 4. The pie dish size I use is 28cm (11 inches). Jill x

        Reply
    3. Andre

      December 04, 2021 at 9:16 am

      5 stars
      Your blog is so festive!
      Thank you for that !!

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        December 04, 2021 at 10:23 am

        It's a pleasure André. Enjoy the season!

        Reply
    4. Andy

      June 13, 2021 at 4:43 am

      5 stars
      I know I posted about this on Instagram the last time I made it but I see I forgot to comment. This is a fantastic recipe! Perfectly warming and comforting and delicious for making during an Australian winter. Thanks, Jill!

      Reply
    5. David

      January 24, 2016 at 8:09 pm

      I haven't had a slice of Flamiche for years - and that has to change! I actually prefer this kind of crust - puff pastry is just too tough for the delicacy of the filling.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 25, 2016 at 10:45 am

        I hope you enjoy this again David. Yes, I liked this crust, especially with the subtle touch of curry powder to it.

        Reply
    6. Suzanne

      January 24, 2016 at 7:36 pm

      Not sure why, but the link to PRINT doesn't work for me. I have your cookbook and love it, but I wanted to try this leek recipe.

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 25, 2016 at 10:44 am

        Hi Suzanne, thanks for alerting us to this. Apparently it's now sorted so print away - thanks to Cédric of Mosaique Studio for sorting it out!

        Reply
    7. Liz

      January 23, 2016 at 8:29 pm

      This looks like a marvelous way to start a Sunday morning! And I'd happily make it a light dinner, too!!

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        January 25, 2016 at 10:43 am

        Morning? For breakfast? Now that's a new one for a Flamiche Liz. Why not?

        Reply
    8. Jill Colonna

      January 23, 2016 at 3:02 pm

      Well I never thought that we had beautiful leeks here. Thanks, Christina. Next time I moan about how cold it is outside and you're in Californian sunshine, I'll think of the leeks!

      Reply
      • Christina | Christina's Cucina

        January 26, 2016 at 10:23 pm

        Hahaha!

        Reply
    9. Christina | Christina's Cucina

      January 22, 2016 at 8:32 pm

      You have no idea how envious I am of you being able to buy those BEAUTIFUL leeks especially at that price! We never see leeks like that here (maybe 2" of white). This dish sounds fabulous and I could easily eat two large pieces right now! Hope to try this soon!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Jill Colonna standing in a French patisserie lab holding a giant whisk over an oversized mixer bowl
    BIENVENUE!

    Meet Jill Colonna

    Jill is both Scottish and French and author of the book and blog, Mad About Macarons since 2010. Here she shares over 30 years of experience of living the healthy food life with her French family in Paris - via easy recipes and local food guides in France.

    More about Jill
    moist banana bread with walnuts and freshly chopped figs

    SEASONAL

    Fall Recipes

    We're warming up for Autumn with easy fall recipes. From healthy family dinners, desserts with apples, to fall soup recipes, enjoy our best comfort foods from France.

    Autumn/Fall recipes

    Reader Favourites

    • high rise cheesy scones piled on top of each other, surrounded by rosemary and spring onions
      Fluffy Cheese Scones
    • fig jam with bread and cheese
      Corsican Fig Jam (Confiture de Figues)
    • oval dish with chicken in red wine and vegetables with a French baguette
      Coq au Vin (Chicken Casserole in Red Wine)
    • tray holding slices of toasted French toast or Pain Perdu in a boulangerie in France in front of baguettes
      Best French Toast Recipe (Pain Perdu)

    SPOTLIGHT

    Apples (Pommes)

    It's apple season! Get the fall of French apple recipes, the best varieties for baking/cooking, along with our fun French expressions using them.

    Apples

    Recent recipes

    • gluten free brownie squares topped with toasted almonds and hazelnuts on a French plate
      Gluten Free Brownies
    • moist banana nut bread made with ripe bananas, chestnut flour and walnuts
      Moist Banana Nut Bread
    • close up of a buttery cookie with chocolate chips
      Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • bowl of pistachio ice cream with flecks of vanilla and surrounded by pistachio shells
      Pistachio Ice Cream (with or without Wasabi)
    pink restaurant in Paris Montmartre with fall leaves

    FOOD TRAVEL GUIDES

    Paris Food Guides

    Your sweet DIY online guide to Montmartre. With the best bakeries, pastries, chocolate and a little history.

    Sweet Montmartre
    pink cover of patisserie recipe book Teatime in Paris by Jill Colonna

    EASY FRENCH PASTRY RECIPES

    Teatime in Paris

    Get Jill's easy pastry recipes. From éclairs, tarts, macarons, to mille feuilles. Step-by-step baking techniques with many of the Parisians' best bakeries that make them.
    A must gift for all budding bakers and Paris-loving Francophiles.

    Get the book
    shiny little macaron cookies in a Paris store

    LOCAL GUIDES

    Best Macarons in Paris

    Want to try the best French macarons in Paris but mad at choosing?
    As a local for 30 years with 2 macaron recipe books, I’ve tasted a LOT to help you out!

    Top 20 Macarons
    blue recipe book cover for Mad About Macarons

    BESTSELLER

    Mad About Macarons

    Scared to make the first move to make macarons? Jill shares all the tips and step-by-step instructions in her bestselling recipe book (also in Dutch, Spanish and Hungarian). It has inspired many now-professional macaron bakers since 2010!

    Get the book
    Paris map Mad About Macarons

    BIENVENUE

    Newsletter

    Love good French food and the healthy lifestyle? Stay connected with the free newsletter from Paris.

    Sign Me Up

    Footer

    Jill Colonna logo Mad About Macarons
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Twitter
    • Recipes
    • About
    • French Food Guides
    • FAQ
    Contact
    Newsletter

    Copyright © 2010-2023 Jill Colonna

    Terms and privacy