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Were it not for the neighbour that fate placed next door to childhood home, the chef’s famous cheese tart may never been created or gone on to charm the mouths of fromage worshipers across Sydney.
The 54-year-old Bitton, who was born in Paris but grew up in Toulouse France, reminisces about the origins of his cheese tart that’s been on his menu for 22 years.
“As a child back in Toulouse, I lived next door to a gentleman who owned a fromagerie,” says Bitton, owner and managing director of The Bitton Group, which runs across Sydney. “He later went on to become one of France’s biggest cheese experts.
“I remember going next door to help him turn the cheeses in the cave once a month. There were very mature cheeses, goats cheeses and very stinky ones.”
Bitton always finished the excursion by returning home with “little pieces of cheese” in-hand. “These little pieces became my mum’s warm cheese tart. Right now, I am salivating just thinking about the dish because we grew up eating this cheese tart every month.”
Memories of fresh cheese tart slices
The French trained chef describes the tart as his childhood version of macaroni and cheese. His mother used to serve the tart warm and fresh from the oven. The filling was always light and fluffy, while the shortcrust pastry melted in the mouth.
“I think of my mum often and all the food she made [as a home cook]. My mum influenced a lot of my cooking.”
Bitton 's , made without pectin or preservatives, and crepes both inspired by his mother’s traditional recipes. His warm cheese tart (that’s always on the menu at his ) is also based on his mother’s original recipe. It features four kinds of cheese – a washed rind, goat’s, blue and cheddar or gruyere cheese.
“There’s a smaller quantity of blue cheese in the tart compared to the other cheese because, sometimes, blue cheese can become overpowering," he tells SBS. "But in these proportions, once it is cooked, it’s not aggressive. It helps to make the tart delicious and fluffy.”
The young David Bitton beside his mother in the kitchen back in France. Source: The Bitton Group
Bitton’s cheese selection greets two eggs and another two egg yolks, plus crème fraîche and pouring cream to create a delectably rich but balanced savoury delight. The tart’s shortcrust pastry casing has a crunchy flake, while its warm cheese-cream interior delivers gooey fromage heaven. Although each cheese is added to the recipe separately, the baking process combines the melted flavours to create a sensational cheese medley filling.
“Every time I eat the tart today, I still can’t believe how good it is. It’s so subtle, light, rich and clean.”
Pictured: David Bitton, owner and managing director of The Bitton Group, eating a warm cheese tart at Bitton Alexandria. Source: Yasmin Noone
Salad is a must
There is, however, one caveat you must be aware of before ordering the warm cheese tart at Bitton. For the tart to taste complete, it must be eaten with a salad.
This rule is firm as it's a culinary tradition. Bitton says the way to eat any French main is with a salad, so the cheese tart is no exception. “The salad is very important. Remember, in France we don’t eat big food portions. As the warm cheese tart is a rich food, we only just have a small slice alongside a little salad.”
Bitton pairs the savoury treat with heirloom tomato salad featuring Spanish onions, olives, green leaves and lemon dressing. The majority of the salad's X-factor descends from the zing of the red onion, and the sweet juice of cherry tomatoes against the dressing.
As expected, the culinary advice of the successful French chef is correct. Had the dish been served without that exact tomato salad, the cheese-laden experience of the tart would not have been so complex. Onions, cheese and pastry, combined with a fresh salad, are a common feature throughout French cuisine for a good reason: they taste downright superb.
“My warm cheese tart is a simple meal that sums up the essence of classic French cookery. Less is always best, especially when you use quality ingredients. It really is an incredible lunch.”
