French Cottage Cheese Tart

An airy filling that puffs up during baking, a well-seared crust, and the fresh taste of whipped cheese. The texture should be mousse-like and wobble slightly when coming out of the oven.

• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 45 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 397
• Protein: 13 g
• Carbs: 47 g
• Fat: 18 g

Ingredients

• 0.7 piece Shortcrust pastry ( ready to use )
• 333.3 g Fresh cheese ( drained )
• 2.7 piece Egg ( yolks and whites separated )
• 66.7 g White sugar
• 26.7 g Corn starch
• 0.7 piece Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. ( finely zested )
• 0.7 pinch Gray sea salt

Instructions

1. Mold preparation

   Line a high-sided mold with the shortcrust pastry. Prick the bottom with a fork. Keep in the fridge so the pastry doesn't shrink during baking.

2. Cheese mixture

   In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and coats the spatula.

3. Egg whites

   Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt. They must be firm and form stiff peaks on the whisk.

4. Final folding

   Fold one-third of the whites into the mixture to lighten it, then gently add the rest with a spatula, lifting the mass to avoid breaking the air bubbles.

5. Baking

   Pour onto the pastry. Bake at 180°C. The tart should puff up like a souffle and the surface should take on a deep golden color.

6. Inverted cooling

   Upon taking it out of the oven, turn the tart upside down onto a wire rack. This is the secret to keeping its height while cooling.

Chef's tips

• Use full-fat cottage cheese (40%) for maximum creaminess.
• Cooling upside down on a rack is essential to prevent the center from collapsing.
• Do not open the oven door during the first 30 minutes.

Storage

Keep in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. It tastes even better well-chilled the next day.