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"Tarte des Alpes" is a pastry found specifically in the Southern Alps. It is filled with jam and covered with lattice patterns of pastry. Handmade by pastry chefs in the Hautes-Alpes and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or industrially made by some manufacturers in the Hautes-Alpes, it has the advantage of being able to be kept for months without losing its flavour.
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Origin and history
The "Tarte des Alpes" is a speciality of the Valgaudemar Valley, where it is called "pie of the valley" or "country pie". An almost identical version can be found in the Champsaur or in the Queyras regions, where it is called "Queyras pie".
It was originally made in winter, using fruit jams from the summer. A creamy plum filling was used for the pie, with raspberry or blueberry jam added. Today this pie, with its decoration of strips of pastry, is one of the emblems of the regional gastronomy of the Southern Alps.
Ingredients
"Tarte des Alpes" is made from a sweet shortcrust pastry and jam. Over time, the jams or jellies filling the pie have diversified and there are now many fruit flavours. The main ones are blueberry, raspberry, apricot, prune, strawberry, fig, lemoncurd, cherry, and forest fruits.
Preparation
For the pastry, flour, butter, castor sugar, eggs, salt and yeast are needed. The choice of jam or jellies is a matter of taste; all that is advised is to add a little apple pectin.
Once the pastry has been rolled out, it is placed in a pie dish and filled with jam or fruit jelly. The strips of pastry needed for the covering are generally 3 mm thick, 5 mm wide and 30 centimeters long. They form a criss-cross pattern.
Consumption and conservation
These pies can be eaten hot or cold; after meals; at breakfast; with coffee or afternoon tea. They can be kept for two or three months, all the while retaining their original flavour.
Dish/wine pairing
A dessert such as this calls for a naturally sweet wine such as a "Muscat" (from Beaumes-de-Venise, Frontigan, Lunel, Rivesaltes, Cap Corse...).