A Hidden Gem

I am back with another restaurant review! We were celebrating a special occasion and it was my task to find the perfect restaurant. After going through at least 100 different venues on TripAdvisor cross-checking prices, wine selections and location, I finally settled on Chez Gabrielle. And thank goodness I did.

The restaurant is so small we almost walked right past it! We were immediately seated by the window (always a good start). The atmosphere was cosy but chic — you probably couldn’t fit more than 25 people at once so I highly recommend reserving in advance! Service is attentive but not overly lingering.

Now, onto the good stuff: the food itself. Let me start off by declaring that Chez Gabrielle has safely secured a spot in my top 3 restaurants list. Allow me to explain. To start I had the sea bass tartar, which was marvellous. The lemon and capers dressing provided a perfect balance. My companion had the seared foie gras served in a sweet red wine sauce and a toasted piece of gingerbread… I am told it was heavenly! But the real surprise came with the main course: a huge beef steak smothered in parmesan sauce and served with a very cute pan of gratin dauphinois potatoes on the side. They were the best gratin potatoes I had ever eaten in my life (sorry Mum). I was utterly blown away and it took every ounce of self-control I had not to march straight into the kitchen and demand the recipe right there. My companion ordered the baked scallops and girolle mushrooms which came with a rich creamy sauce. Boy, that chef sure knows what he is doing.

And finally, dessert. Chez Gabrielle is famous for its poached peach and lemon crème brûlée so I wasted no time in ordering that. This sealed the deal for me; the presentation was simple but effective and I happily gobbled up my plate like a happy child. More please! Although — jokes aside — quantity-wise, everything was perfect. I am always annoyed at fancy restaurants when the plates are so beautifully presented but then you end up with one sad shrimp, a couple of salad leaves and a dash of mysterious green sauce. This criteria was therefore very important to us: a fancy but inexpensive and filling restaurant. And in Paris! But Chez Gabrielle came through for us and we cannot wait to go back. I confess that I have dreamed of those potatoes more than once.  Cost was about 60€ per person (starter+main+dessert each) and that includes 2 bottles of wine and 1 bottle of sparkling water. Sealed with approval!

Chez Gabrielle

7 Rue de l’Étoile, 75017 Paris

01 43 80 23 01

 

Renata’s Marmite Dieppoise

I cannot stress how much I love this dish. I first tasted it over the summer at Renata’s house. Since then, I have made it a bunch of times, from Séné to Högmarsö and changed a few details here and there. Renata is the mother of one of my best friends and to my eyes, she is a cooking goddess. So when I got permission to post this recipe, I was thrilled. Marmite dieppoise is great for making in large quantities (fact: I have never made this for less than 15 people) and your guests will be going back for seconds and thirds — I guarantee it — so think big! I made this again during the Christmas holidays in Brittany, helped by various members of my family, young and old. I hope you will enjoy this as much as we did. All credit goes to Renata, (even my grandma said it was lighter than she thought it was going to be). Thanks for spreading the deliciousness!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients: (for 4 people)

2 carrots, chopped finely
1 large celery stick, chopped finely
1 leek, chopped finely
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, chopped finely
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 handful parsley, chopped
Pepper (NO salt, the fish makes this recipe very salty already)
500ml water
20cl crème fraîche (or double cream for UK people)
500g mussels, cleaned
250 g shrimps, shelled
Lots of butter
Any dry white wine
250g salmon filets
250g cod filets
250g scallops
250g sole filets (you can also add monkfish if you like, or any other fish that grabs your fancy)

Instructions:

This recipe is not difficult to make, but it needs time, so if you want this for dinner then start cooking during the afternoon.

In a large cooking pot (“marmite” in French), melt some butter and add the vegetables (carrots, celery, leek, onion and tomatoes). Make sure you have chopped them SUPER finely: you’re going to blitz them together later on.

Once nicely sautéed and golden (10-15 minutes), add a cup of wine. Then add the curry powder, crushed fennel seeds, paprika and pepper. Once the wine has evaporated, add the 500ml of water and let simmer for 15 minutes.

In another pot, melt some more butter and add the mussels and 150 ml of wine. Cook for 3 minutes (or until the mussels open). Take the mussels out and remove them from their shells. Put the mussels to one side. Save the wine you used to cook them in and add it to the vegetable pot (yum). Wait for the vegetable mixture to boil down again (about 20 minutes, turn up heat and wait a few more minutes if still too liquid).

Once you have a soup-looking concoction, turn off heat, take a hand mixer and blend all the vegetables together thoroughly: you want to end up with a smooth, velouté mixture.

Put back on heat and add the mussels and shrimps. Stir in the crème fraîche. Meanwhile, cut the fish filets into cubes, butter them lightly and put in over at 200°C for about 10 minutes. Add the scallops halfway through (they only need 3-5min).

When cooked, add the fish to the vegetable mixture, mix gently (so that the fish does not come apart) and serve with freshly chopped parley and a hint of paprika. Again, no need for salt.

Bon appétit!

Side note: the major difference between this recipe and Renata’s original one is that she sieves the vegetables once they have been mixed, keeping only the juice and throwing the fibres away. However, my own mother saw me making this and refused point blank to let me waste any vegetables. Heaven forbid! So, they stayed.

Gougères Bourguignonnes

I could honestly eat gougères like there’s no tomorrow. Which is going to be a bit of a problem now I know how easy they are to make! One of our family friends, Anne, made these for us on Sunday and was dear enough to share her recipe with me.

Making gougères is a very straight forward business. No tricks or traps here! You are basically making choux dough that you are going to mix with cheese (either gruyère, comté or emmental). They make phenomenal appetizers and always seem to be a big hit at dinner parties. You must serve them hot: this way they are crispy on the outside, and soft, airy and indecently cheesy on the inside. I suppose in English these would translate as “cheese puffs” but I think that sounds rather blasphemous. Gougères are so much more than mere vulgar cheese puffs.

So do not be fazed by these pillowy hors d’oeuvres, they are quick to make and completely do-able for anyone! You only need a few ingredients and minimal equipment. Without any further ado, see Anne’s recipe below.

  

  

  

  

  

  

Ingredients:

25cl water
100g butter, cut into cubes
150g flour
150g gruyère
5 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Pre-heat oven at 210°C. Pour the water, salt and butter in a saucepan and turn up the heat. Meanwhile, sift the flour. Once you’ve brought the contents of the saucepan to a boil, set aside and pour in the flour.

Stir energetically so as to form a dough. Add 4 eggs to the mixture (save the 5th one!), one by one and keep stirring. If your arm gets tired, you may use a mixer. No one will judge you. Wait for each egg to be absorbed and for the dough to smooth out before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed between additions.

In the end, the dough should come together in a very smooth, creamy batter. Add the pepper and nutmeg. Stir again, and incorporate the cheese.

Spread a baking sheet on a baking tray. With the help of a couple of tablespoons, scoop rounded balls of dough and make sure to space them at least 3cm apart. Beat the last egg and use it to brush over the gougères (this will give them that crispy, glazed effect).

Put the gougères in the over and bake for 5 min with the oven door half open. Then close the door and let them bake for 20 minutes. The gougères will have risen, and transformed into deep golden-brown little puffs. And your house will smell lovely.

Simple Apple Tart

Roald Dahl once said “There is something about very cold weather that gives one an enormous appetite. Most of us find ourselves beginning to crave rich steaming stews and hot apple pies and all kinds of delicious warming dishes.”

Now that Summer is officially over, I’m looking forward to locking myself up in a cosy kitchen with the radio and preparing boeuf bourguignon, raclette, foie gras, gougères, coq au vin, gratin dauphinois and scores of quiches and tarts.

This is a very easy apple tart you can make at a minute’s notice and a favourite for adults and kids alike. The key is in frying the apples with butter and sugar before you assemble the tart so that they are soft and gooey by the time they make their way on your plate.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry
50g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (optional)
50g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
5 apples (Golden, Gala, or Braeburn)

What I’m jamming to: “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult

Directions:

Heat oven at 180°C. Peel, core and slice the apples. In a large frying pan, heat the butter and, once melted, add the apples. Sauté them for a couple of minutes before adding the sugar. Do not stir, as you will end up with a mushy compote! Just shake up the pan from time to time to make sure the apples don’t stick to the bottom.

While the apples are cooking, you’ll want to pre-heat the pastry. I usually skip the pre-heating when recipes call for this, but because we’re going to be adding a syrupy load of apples on top of it, the pastry won’t have a chance to cook if its raw before you add the apples. Grease your tart dish, spread the pastry over it and leave in oven for 5 minutes. Then take it out and let it cool.

Once your apples have turned a soft, yellow colour and that the syrup has more or less evaporated, turn off heat. Equip yourself with a fork and begin to assemble the apples onto the tart, one by one if you have to. Start from the outside and begin to work your way inwards. Put dish in oven and cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until golden. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or ice cream. Bon appetit!

Le Petit Hôtel du Grand Large

There is this fantastic little restaurant I have to tell you about. It is near impossible to find, unless someone has already recommended it to you. This seafood bistro — run by a self-taught chef and supplied with fresh fish every day — is located on a tiny peninsula in Quiberon, Brittany. The place opened 5 years ago when Hervé Bourdon, who used to work in a major parisian advertising company, decided to buy the hotel-restaurant to fulfil a boyhood dream. Le Petit Hôtel du Grand Large recently acquired it’s first Michelin star, which it more than deserves. The food is high quality and cooked to perfection, often with an original twist. The hotel’s attractively decorated guest rooms overlook the port.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what I had (30€ lunch menu):

Pollock tartare seasoned with yuzu and fresh dill

Fumet of langoustine en mousse

Grilled sea bass topped with rose petals grown on the peninsula, Lapsang Souchong infused potato purée and olive oil emulsion

Organic strawberry and fromage frais sorbets served with hazelnut crumble and crushed sablé Breton

The dishes are highly creative and the chef uses only local products, so the menu changes with the tides and seasons. They also have an excellent wine list, and the waiters will be more than happy to help you pick a bottle to go with your meal. We had a wonderful Muscadet (2009 Gorges from Damien Rineau) with the fish. The wine was rich with a lot of body. The nose recalled fresh mint and the mouthfeel was fruity, and quite “soft” in its thickness. I could also detect bitter grapefruit skin and a faint taste of something slightly caramelised.

Overall the food, the service, the management and the typically Breton atmosphere is just great. This place is Brittany’s best kept secret, but do not be fooled by its isolated location; come lunchtime and this place is always packed. Be sure to book in advance and ask for a table by the windows for a view of the ocean.

11 quai St-Ivy
56510 Portivy
+33297309161

Accueil

Menu: 30€ (weekday lunch) , 48€ – 70€ – Carte: 53€ – 71€

Flora’s Famous Courgette Cake

This is a cake from one of my favourite cooking books: How To Be A Domestic Goddess. It’s delicious and moist and yes, it has courgettes in there. Or zucchinis, for y’all Americans following my blog (is there anyone out there??)

I’ll admit I had high doubts about this one when my friend Helen heartily recommended the recipe to me. We were holidaying in Brittany and it seemed like the worst idea in the world to put vegetables in a CAKE.

But, as Nigella Lawson puts it “If courgette cake sounds dodgy to you, think about carrot cake for a moment; this is just an adaption of that.” And I must say, it’s infinitely better than the humble carrot cake. Besides, it’s shockingly easy to make and this is the time of year when you’re likely to have a glut of courgettes (zucchini) on your hands. Do not be fazed by the length of the recipe, it is in 3 parts, but it shouldn’t take you more than an hour.

  

FOR THE CAKE

Ingredients:

250g of courgettes (250g doesn’t really make much of a dent in the courgette harvest) – weigh them before you grate them and if you go a bit over then that’s fine
2 large eggs
125ml vegetable oil
150g caster sugar
225g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and grease and line 2 cake tins. Grate the courgettes using a normal cheese grater and then put them in a sieve over the sink to remove excess water. Cream the eggs, sugar and oil together in a bowl. If you are lucky enough to own a KitchenAid, now is the time to get it out! Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder together in another bowl and then add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the courgettes. Pour the mixture into the cake tins. Bake for about 30 mins (test it with a knife and it should come out clean). Let it cool in the cake tin for about 10 mins, find a cooling rack then take the cakes out to cool on the racks.

FOR THE LIME CURD

Ingredients:

75g of butter
3 large eggs
75g of caster sugar
125ml juice of 3-4 limes
zest of 1 lime

Directions:

Melt butter in a saucepan, then add the rest of the ingredients and keep whisking it all until it starts thickening into a custard. The whisking is very important, because if you’re not careful, you could end up with bits of slightly cooked egg whites in your curd. Which is not really what you want to be aiming for. Once it’s done, let it cool and fill up a jar with it. It makes more than enough for the cake filling.

FOR THE ICING:

Ingredients:

200g cream cheese
100g sieved icing sugar
juice of 1 lime
topping (lime zest/chopped pistacchio nuts)

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add sieved icing sugar and combine really well. Add the lime juice in last.

***

So the final step is in the assembling. For better results, I usually leave the cakes and lime curd overnight to cool completely. Spread plenty of lime curd on top of one cake, place the second cake over it and then spread the icing on top. You can finish it off by sprinkling chopped pistachio nuts on top. I usually go for an intense lime taste so I use lime zest.

L’Atelier Saint-Georges

Buried in the 9th arrondissement, one metro stop away from Pigalle, you will find L’Atelier Saint-Georges (literally, “The Saint George Workshop”). L’Atelier is a small gourmet burger restaurant with tasteful and modern decoration. The place is run by entrepreneurs Xavier and Eloi, both of whom are fervent defenders of the French terroir.

Its menu is simple but high quality: you can detect a hint of white wine with the cream and shallots, the mushroom positively melts into the chicken and the vegetables are deliciously crunchy. One thing the house does not overlook is product quality and humanism of the table. Indeed, the meat is born, raised and slaughtered in France, and is cut thinly with a knife instead of being minced. L’Atelier uses round steak (“la poire”), which is considered one of the best (and most flavourful) beef cuts and the artisan buns are produced every morning in a local bakery.

                  

 

Aware that burger restaurants are popping up all over Paris, Xavier and Eloi knew they needed to stand out and distance themselves from the fast food image. They have opted for a minimal style with cool khaki walls and tables lined with 50s style wooden Scandinavian chairs. The mouldings on the white ceiling are wonderful and the checkered floor tiles and large mirrors add to the warmth of the room. Each time I go the staff is very attentive and polite.

Each burger has a name: Mr. George, Mr. Fred, Mr. Paul… and all serve as a tribute to some of France’s greatest chefs. For example, Monsieur Paul (as in Bocuse) is topped with seared foie gras. What I like about l’Atelier’s burgers is that they each have an elegant twist: whether it’s pesto, camembert, pine nuts, mozzarella, beetroot or roquette, these ingredients bring a delicate and unexpected balance to the plate. Side dishes include homemade French fries (with or without grated feta cheese), baked sweet potato fries and salad. Everything is homemade, right down to the lemon mayonnaise served upon request. For dessert you can choose between a slice of cheesecake, cookie, fruit salad, or simply let yourself be surprised by the “dessert du moment”.

 

L’Atelier Saint-Georges
16 rue Henry-Monnier, 75009
0177161896
www.atelier-saintgeorges.com
Burgers from 14 euros, Desserts from 3 euros

 

Curry night

This is a recipe I had been wanting to try out for a while. Indian cooking is something I know very little about, and it is extremely vast and diverse, but I wasn’t going to let that put me off! I love how colourful their dishes are and how you can taste a million different things in every bite. Nigel Slater calls this recipe a “quick vegetable curry”, although I’d like to know what his definition of “quick” is. Nonetheless, two hours later I finally sat down in front of a delicious meal and a chilled glass of white wine.

My history teacher at high school used to say, “there are three things that life is too short for: explaining jokes, washing lettuce and paperwork.” Well, now that I’ve made this, I really feel like I ought to invest in a mortar and pestle at some point, because life is too short to tolerate crushing cardamom seeds with a fork. I was also desperate to find naan bread to go with it, but after trying four different stores this afternoon, I had to admit defeat and half heartedly bought a pack of pitta bread instead. Please don’t judge me.

 

  

 

Ingredients:

2 large aubergines, cut into quarters, thickly sliced
salt
good glug groundnut oil
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
3 large, juicy garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
finger-length piece fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into fine shreds
6-8 cardamom pods
1-2 good pinches dried chilli flakes
1-2 tsp ground turmeric
1-2 tsp cumin seeds
6-8 tomatoes, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
few good dollops natural yoghurt
dollop crème fraîche
small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
small handful fresh mint leaves

For the full recipe, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/quickvegetablecurry_92583

I also made a cucumber and mint raita, “a cool, fresh chutney that takes seconds to make” to go with the curry. Recipe here by Jo’ Pratt: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cucumberandmintraita_67787

Gnocchi with Creamy Spinach and Tomato Sauce

One day I shall make gnocchi like an Italian grandmother. It is one of my life’s many ambitions. But gnocchi making is time-consuming and I don’t have a potato ricer or potato mill on hand. So, for now, I’m sticking to the shop-bought stuff. However, if you’re feeling adventurous, the venerable Julia Child does include a recipe for French gnocchi in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. Her version calls for mixing cooked semolina flour into the pâte à choux dough. She finishes her gnocchi under the broiler with a topping of Swiss cheese sauce.

The mascarpone in this recipe is a great feature and Italians use it a lot for both savoury and sweet dishes. It adds a distinct rich flavour to meals that include pasta or gnocchi, such as this one.

Gnocchi with Creamy Spinach and Tomato Sauce is for one of those evenings when you just want to come home and kick back in front of a movie with a glass of red wine.

 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
400G peeled tinned tomatoes
140g mascarpone
20g parmesan
500g gnocchi
200g fresh spinach
A handful of fresh basil
Salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Crush garlic and sauté until golden. Add the tomatoes. Add salt and pepper and let simmer for 10 min. Add mascarpone and cook for a further 2 min. Grate the parmesan.

Boil salted water in another pan. Cook the gnocchi (see time indicated on packet) and add the spinach 1 minute before cooking time is up. The good thing about gnocchi is that they let you know when they’re done: once they’ve all floated to the surface, remove them using a skimming ladle, then drain the spinach.

Add the spinach and gnocchi to the mascarpone mixture and stir gently. Garnish with chopped basil leaves and grated parmesan, then serve immediately.

This will serve 3-4 people.

Quiche lorraine, my way

If you haven’t had quiche lately, it is time to remedy that situation. “The original quiche Lorraine has no cheese,” writes Julia Child in “From Julia Child’s Kitchen.”
Ok. As much as I love quiche Lorraine, I find it a little boring. This version is more fun, and absolutely delicious. It’s perfect for spring-time gatherings and brunches! It’s also a picnicker’s best friend and is easy to store. I still can’t decide whether I like eating it hot out of the oven or cold with leftovers. You may notice that this recipe uses more eggs than your average quiche, but if you like your mixture light and fluffy then it’s definitely the way to go.

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced thinly
1 red pepper, chopped into thin strips
200g smoked lardons
100ml milk
6 eggs
20cl of crème fraîche
A handful of grated cheddar/gruyère/emmental cheese
A generous pinch of grated nutmeg
A knob of butter
A slither of olive oil
Salt & pepper shop bought roll of puff pastry

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven at 180°C.

In a frying pan, heat oil and add peppers and onion. Sauté until the onion has wilted. Add the smoked lardons and cook for 5-10 mins. Don’t forget to stir occasionally.

Now turn your attention to the filling. In a medium sized bowl, crack open 6 eggs and beat them. Add the crème fraîche, milk, cheese, nutmeg and season with salt & pepper.

Take a tart dish and grease it using the knob of butter. Smooth the pastry over it and poke holes in the base with a fork. Tip the lardons mixture over the pastry, then cover with the creamy mixture. Carefully place dish in the oven and cook for 25 mins or when surface is golden brown.

Poached Salmon with Thyme and Oranges

I can’t take any credit for this recipe as it’s by food blogger Sherron Watson. She describes this dish as “lots of veggies, a great quality piece of salmon, fresh herbs, citrus and extra virgin olive oil all steamed together in under 25 minutes.” The colours are gorgeous and the flavours are amazing, plus I find the presentation really fun. Also, I don’t have many skinny recipes…but this is one of them, and it just happens to be delicious.

Find the full recipe at this website:

http://www.simply-gourmet.com/2013/02/281-parchment-poached-salmon-pouches.html

Thanks Sherron!

 

 

Ingredients (to make 6 pouches):

450, of salmon, cut into 2 inch wide pieces (I was able to get 6 pieces)

2 small courgettes, cut at an angle into thin slices

2 small carrots, peeled and then using the peeler I sliced curls of carrots

2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced thin

1 lemon, peeled and sliced thin

60g spinach PER pouch

1 small red onion, sliced thin

fresh thyme sprigs (about 2 per pouch)

olive oil

salt

See full recipe for directions.

 

Salmon Pasta

I once had a meal similar to this on holiday in Italy a few years ago and was inspired to try and make it myself. It’s pretty quick to make and, as far as comfort food goes, this dish is totally boss. The combination of fresh salmon, cream and tomatoes is perfect with pasta. And chances are, you’ve got more than half the ingredients in your cupboard already.

 

 

Ingredients:

200g salmon, smoked or fresh, diced
100ml tomato sauce
10cl crème fraîche
a handful of parsley, chopped finely
extra virgin olive oil
a knob of butter
3 gloves garlic, chopped finely
a dash of dry white wine
400g of any kind of short pasta
salt & pepper

Directions:

In a saucepan with butter & extra virgin olive oil, on medium fire, sauté the garlic. Remove when it turns golden brown. In another pot, boil some water for the pasta.

Sauté the salmon. When it changes colour, add the tomato sauce. Let it evaporate a bit, about 5 minutes more or less. Add the wine and put the flame higher until the alcohol evaporates.

On low flame, add the cream & parsley. Cook for about 20 minutes or less if the sauce thickens first. Move constantly. Don’t let it dry out.

When the sauce is about to be cooked, add salt in the pot of boiling water for the pasta. Put the pasta and cook following the number of minutes suggested in the package. When cooked, drain.

Passionfruit cheesecake

You’ve probably started to notice the lack of dessert recipes on this blog. To be honest, I’ve never been much of a dessert kind of girl; I’m one of those strange people who doesn’t care much for chocolate and I’m not big on sweets either. But I’ve always been willing to make an exception for cheesecakes. That might have something to do with JUST HOW GOOD THEY TASTE. What can be more soothing to the soul than having a piece of cheesecake? Just think of that light, airy biscuit crust, and that smooth creamy filling. Yeah, that’s what I mean. As a child I used to go to after-school cookery classes and kept a scrapbook of the recipes I was taught. Over the years, I have adapted the recipe to suit French ingredients but for the sake of my British readers, I’ll put the English ingredients in parenthesis.

 

Ingredients:

175g speculos biscuits (ginger nut biscuits)
75g butter, melted
1 lemon, juiced
500g mascarpone cream (150ml double cream and 1 small tin sweetened condensed milk)
Pulp from 4 passionfruit

Directions:

Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs. I usually use a rolling pin. Melt the butter and stir into the biscuits. Press the mixture into an 18cm pie or flan tin and place in refrigerator to set. This is very important: do not skip this part!

Whip the cream until soft peaks form (for the Brits: this is the part where you would stir in the condensed milk with the double cream). Add the juice from the lemon and spoon mixture into the pie tin. Put in the fridge to chill. Before serving, pour the passionfruit pulp over the cheesecake.

Mila’s salmon and olive pie

This pie is a big favourite among my friends. I came up with this dish a few years ago when I was trying out a tuna pie recipe from a French cookbook. I wasn’t too keen on using tuna, so I decided to replace it with salmon fillet and changed a couple of things here and there. The end result was far better than I expected — the combination of salmon, olives and tomatoes was delicious and gave the pie a real Mediterranean feel. This is perfect for an intimate dinner with close friends. Once you’ve made the pie, throw together a Greek salad, bring out the wine and put a record on. Now we’re talking.
*APOLOGIES* for the appalling image quality: I’m waiting to get my camera back so in the meantime we’re stuck with these pictures from my phone.

Ingredients:

1kg ripe tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500g salmon fillet
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bouquet garni (a bunch of herbs tied together: parsley, bay leaves, thyme)
50g pitted green olives
2 rolls of shop-bought puff pastry (230g each)
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Put oven on grill and cook the peppers in there for 15 minutes, turning them over regularly. Once the skin is black on both sides, wrap the peppers in aluminium foil to cool. Heat water in a large saucepan. Once the water is boiling, add tomatoes and let them simmer for 1 minute or so before taking them out and rinsing them under cold water.

Now peel the skin off. Next, peel the skin off the peppers too; it should come off easily. Chop the tomatoes and peppers roughly. You’ll want to pre-cook the salmon so take the large saucepan again, fill it with water and bring to a boil, adding salt, pepper and bay leaves. Add the salmon fillets and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Be sure to remove the skin and bay leaves before you flake the salmon.

Now take a large frying pan and heat the olive oil. Cook the onion and garlic together. Add the tomatoes, peppers, tomato paste and bouquet garni. Don’t forget to salt and pepper. Let it cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce has boiled down and stir from time to time. Remove the bouquet garni, add the salmon and the olives and keep stirring. Cook for 10 minutes more on a low heat.

Pre-heat the oven at 180°C. Spread one of the pastries over a greased pie tin. Remember to poke a few holes in it with a fork, otherwise it won’t cook properly. Now pour the mixture gently onto the pastry and spread evenly. Fold over the second pastry, making sure the edges stick together by moistening them. Place a pie bird in the middle. This will prevent the filling from boiling up and leaking through the crust by allowing steam to escape from inside the pie. If you don’t have a pie bird, cut a dime-sized vent hole in the center of the top crust and with a fine knife tip make a circle of piercings spaced about an inch apart and stop one inch from the edge of the crust.

Put the pie in the oven and cook for about 35 minutes, or until the top pastry is golden (but not too much).

Tomato and goat cheese tart with pesto

In case you hadn’t already noticed, I’m a big fan of comfort food. I’ve been making this tart for a while, ever since the day I looked inside my fridge and saw that all I had left were a bunch of tomatoes, a slab of goat’s cheese and some pastry.The pesto came later when I was looking for an ingredient to blend the others together. This is a simple recipe that is fantastic for picnics. When I know I won’t have time to come home for lunch, I usually make this the night before and pop a couple of slices with some salad in a tupperware box to take to university. I’m a bit too lazy to make my own pastry… so I buy it from the store. Not everything has to be made from scratch, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Julia used to say “No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologise”. Ever. I think that’s probably going to be one of my golden rules.

Ingredients:

3 ripe tomatoes, cut into thin slices
1 roll of shop-bought puff pastry (230g)
150g goat cheese (I like to buy Sainte-Maure de Touraine)
1/2 jar of good quality pesto
125g of roquette
1 nob of butter, for greasing
Some balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven at 180°C. Grease a pie tin with butter and lay the pastry over it, making sure you poke a few holes in it with a fork so that it’ll cook properly in the oven. Depending on how thoroughly cooked you like your pastry, you can choose to pre-heat it for 2-3 minutes before starting.

Spread the pesto over the pastry so that the surface is more or less covered. Place the sliced tomatoes evenly on top of the pesto. Cut the goat’s cheese into thin pieces and put them on top of the tomatoes. Now, the thing with Sainte-Maure de Touraine goat cheese is that it is white and soft under a greyish mouldy rind, which I tend to scrape off before cutting the cheese. My boyfriend thinks I’m a barbarian for doing so and it’s a bad habit I’m trying to kick. Perhaps one day I will eat grey mould. But not today.

Put the tart in the oven and let it cook for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted, the tomatoes are soft and wrinkled, and the pastry is a golden brown colour. Once it’s done, let it cool for a few minutes before cutting it into generous slices and serving onto plates. Put some of the roquette on each slice and drizzle with some balsamic vinegar. You’ll thank me later. Enjoy!

My mother’s sardine rillettes

This starter is amazing if you have guests coming over and you want to impress them. It’s also really quick to make — just allow at least an hour in the fridge for it to set once you’ve made it. Now, don’t be put off by the first two pictures, or the fact that a clementine is going in this recipe (with the sardines? really?), you’re going to have to trust me on this one. When I was younger, my mother used to tell me this was tuna mayonnaise so that I would eat it. I’m glad she did or I would have missed out!

Julia Child once said “With enough butter, anything is good” and she was absolutely right. Butter is what makes this recipe and it would be a crime to cut corners with it. Once your guests arrive, take a baguette and cut it into thin slices before spreading the rillettes on each piece and placing them on a decorative plate. Bon appétit!

 

Ingredients:

1 clementine, juiced
1 tin of sardines in olive oil
150g cream cheese (St Moret for the Frenchies)
150g room temperature butter (yes)
1 sprig of parley, finely chopped
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

First of all, take a bowl and mash the butter, cream cheese and sardines together using a fork. If you’re better equipped than I am then throw these ingredients together in your KitchenAid and mix them until you get a smooth paste. Add the clementine juice and keep mashing/mixing until there are no more lumps! Garnish with salt and pepper, before adding the chopped parley.

Mix it all together one last time before smoothing it out, covering your bowl with a layer of cling film and storing it in the fridge. It’s that simple!

Poulet aux légumes du soleil

I am a little crazy about this dish. It is the ultimate comfort food for me and in France where I live, you can buy a frozen bag of this stuff for €5. When I’ve had a long day and don’t have the energy to cook, I just grab a bag and empty its contents into a heated pan with some oil and wait for the magic to happen. But now I’ve decided to have a go at making it myself. So after a trip to the market, I set to work. I have a lot of hungry people living at my house therefore I always make rather large quantities — it’s up to you whether you want to adjust the recipe or just freeze what’s leftover (which is a great time saver!)

Ingredients:

1 aubergine, chopped into cubes
2 medium courgettes, chopped into cubes
400g cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
500g skinless chicken breast, cut into small chunks
1 onion, chopped
4 gloves of garlic, chopped very finely
20cl crème fraîche (or a small pot)
1 small bouquet of fresh basil, chopped
1 handful of grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg

Directions:

Take a large frying pan and heat a tablespoon of oil before adding the courgettes. Sauté courgettes until golden brown then take them off the heat and put them in a large dish. Next, do the same thing with the aubergine.

While that’s cooking, take a separate, smaller pan and warm a little olive oil. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and continue sautéing until the tomatoes’ skin starts to soften/wrinkle. This should take about 5 minutes. When done, put aubergines and tomatoes with courgettes.

In the large pan, heat a teaspoon of olive oil and add the onions. Stir for 1 minute before adding chicken. When chicken is golden brown, remove pan’s contents and put them in the dish with everything else. Warm the same large pan on a low heat for 1 minute or so before adding the crème fraîche and parmesan.

Once it has turned thick and a little brown, grate some nutmeg on the sauce. Then, take the large dish and tip its contents gently into the crème fraîche sauce. Finally, garnish with salt and pepper, add chopped basil and carefully stir the ingredients together.

I usually cook pasta or rice to go with this dish, but it’s up to you.