Apero Time!

My favourite way to entertain- and be entertained- especially in the summer, is to host an apéro dinatoire. (Posh drinks and nibbles- or tapas or canapés- call it what you like). Essentially, it is gorgeous little nibbly things to go with drinks which can last ( or be replenished as the evening goes on.)

The great thing about these evenings is that they are often spur of the moment invites- which means you have to raid your cupboards and fridge and rustle up some nifty nibbles from nothing. No planning. No fuss. Just whatever you've got.

So here are my speedy suggestions:

Toasts/ Croques

If you have a loaf of bread ( or ready made toasts) then you can make a start. Just slice, toast,  rub with a cut clove of garlic and top with whatever is handy- sardine, tuna or liver paté, grated fresh tomato, or a caviare d'aubergines if you have a bit more time.

Prick 2 aubergines all over and rub with some olive oil then roast whole in the oven for 25 minutes or so until soft and wrinkly.

Aubergines looking tired and emotional

Scoop out the flesh and mix it with 1-2 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp honey, some lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper. Spread onto garlicky toasts.

Aubergine Toasts with Gazpacho Verrines

I also like to make mini croques-messieurs, toasting little bits of bread with cheese, ham and mustard. (Or make full-sized ones and cut into bite-sized pieces.)

Mini Croques-Messieurs

Verrines

Cold soups in little glasses go down well and are quite fashionable. Gazpacho ( as shown above ) is always popular      http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.com/search?q=gazpacho or try a Courgette and Coconut Velouté

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.com/search?q=courgette+and+coconut+

Courgette and Coconut Verrine

Dips and Chips

If you have a bottle of mayonnaise, a natural yoghurt or some crème fraiche then you have the makings of a dip.

My favourites are mayo mixed with mustard ( great for dipping mini frankfurters), crème fraiche with chilli sauce and chopped coriander or chives for dipping veg  or yoghurt with chopped gherkins and olives for a tartare sauce dip.

Or try this hummus-y style dip - made from leftover baked beans!

Blitz 2 tbsp beans with 2 cloves of garlic, juice of a lemon, 1 tsp chilli paste and 2 tbsp olive oil

Baked Bean 'Hummus'

Lovely for dipping baby potatoes, courgettes, radishes or tortilla chips

Dips and Chips

Incidentally the chips are made from sliced tortillas ( straight from the freezer), tossed in olive oil and seasoning and baked for 5-10 minutes in a hot oven:

Baked Tortilla Chips

Pastry Bits

It's always worth having a roll of puff pastry in the fridge or freezer for making impromptu titbits. You can make savoury croissants, straws or puffs in a matter of minutes.

For croissants- use a circle of pastry, cut into 16 triangles and each triangle spread with a topping of your choice- sundried tomato paste, pesto, tapenade, curry paste, even Marmite (although Marmite croissants might be a step too far for French guests!)

Croissants spread and ready for rolling

Roll up into croissant shapes from the outside of the triangle into the centre. Brush with egg or milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds or parmesan. Bake at 200 degrees until risen and golden.

Mini croissants and cheese straws

Or use a rectangular sheet of pastry, cut into smaller rectangles for Ham and Cheese Puffs:

Lay a slice of ham and some grated cheese on top

Fold in the edges and seal, bake until golden brown and puffy:

Ham and Cheese Puffs

Cheese Tuiles

I make these with St.Nectaire but it would work with Manchego, Comte, Cantal or Port Salut too.

Just slice some cheese into small cubes:

Dice the cheese

Lay little piles of the cubes on some baking paper:

Make little piles of cheese

Put in a hot oven to melt and meanwhile crush a tablespoon of hazelnuts:

Crush hazelnuts for sprinkling

As the cheese melts, sprinkle on the nuts to toast in the oven.

Sprinkle on the nuts as the cheese melts

When the cheese is bubbling, take out the tray, allow to cool slightly then loosen the tuiles and place on a rack to cool.

Tuiles au Saint-Nectaire

Phew! That's enough for now I reckon. Time for a drink.

What- no nibbles?

Le Temps des Cerises

Who would have thought that one cherry tree could yield so much?
Every day I pick buckets of fruit- and still there is 100 times that left on the tree!

So many cherries..so little time!

What to do with them all?

Well, I've made batch after batch of cherry jam of course. Then cherry jellies-

Cherry jelly

Cherry juice for morning breakfast (reputedly good for gout!)-

Cherry juice

Cherrry compote (slow cooked with red wine and a tablespoon of icing sugar) for swirling onto ice cream..

Cherry compote ready for slow cooking

or layering onto chocolate cake with a dollop of chocolate mousse to make a Black Forest Express

All aboard the Black Forest Express

Spiced boozy cherries (with cinnamon and sugar, bottled in eau de vie)

Simmered with cinnamon and icing sugar

Boozy bottled cherries

I've floated them in jugs of Pimms..

Cherry o'clock

I've given them away to friends, neighbours and strangers alike.

Ouf! I'm running out of ideas. 

One last one though...Tarte Aux Cerises

You will need:

1 quantity of sweet pastry made by blitzing 225g of plain flour with 110g soft butter and 80g of icing sugar with 1 large egg in the food processor.

Cherries 

200 ml of either chocolate mousse, vanilla frosting or crème patissière

Jam to glaze

1. Make the pastry as above and press into a flan dish.

Ready for baking blind

2. Bake at 170 degrees until lightly golden all over.

3. Allow to cool completely then spread on your filling of choice.

4. De-stone the cherries and soften them a little by microwaving ( or simmering) for a very short time with a little icing sugar. (Microwaving helps preserve the colour).

5. Arrange the fruit on your flan base.

6. Melt some jam ( I used cherry of course, but strawberry or bramble or other red fruit would be fine) and glaze the surface of the fruit usng a pastry brush.

Glaze with red jam

Et voilà!

Tarte aux Cerises

And by the way- I'm sure you've all guessed what you're getting for Christmas this year!

Tarts, Pies and Pastries

We all have our strengths- and weaknesses. I make fine soups and I'm good with vegetables- but I'm an unreliable cake baker.

I would only make it past the first post at Great British Bake Off! if the first challenge was pastry.

Because I do rustle up a pretty good pie, if I say so myself.

This week, I've put a couple of new recipes in (including one sent to me recently- so not my own work at all!) and then links to some of my favourites from the blog which you might have missed.




First of all, last week I made a lemon and white chocolate tart using a sweet shortcrust pastry (which I made in the food processor). It was very easy- and delicious topped with strawberries.

Lemon and white chocolate tartlet

For the pastry- put 250g of plain flour, 125g of butter, 125g of icing sugar, a pinch of salt and 1 small egg into the goblet of a food processor and pulse until it begins to form a soft ball. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

Scoop it out onto a sheet of cling film, wrap up and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

When ready, roll it out between two sheets of cling film and line 6 buttered tartlet pans with it. Bake blind (lined with parchment paper and baking beans) at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes until lightly coloured. Allow to cool before pouring in the filling which is made from 100g of white chocolate melted in a bowl over a pan of simmering water mixed with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon curd until it forms a smooth cream.

Pour into the tartlet cases and cool before decorating with fresh fruit.

Once you've mastered this sweet pastry, you can try other fillings of your choice- like this pear and 

almond tart:

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/pear%20and%20almond%20tart

For a savoury shortcrust pastry, you need 250g of plain flour, a pinch of salt, 125 g of butter and a splash of cold water. Again, put the flour, butter and salt into the food processor and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. Slowly trickle in the water as the blades turn until the mixture forms a soft ball and treat in the same way as the sweet pastry above.

You can flavour the pastry by adding cheese, nutmeg, curry powder, walnuts, herbs or lemon zest at the 'breadcrumb' stage for a more original taste to your pies and quiches.

To bake 'blind' follow these picture instructions

:Line a flan dish with your pastry and trim with a knife then lay a sheet of baking parchment over the pastry and pour in ceramic baking beans or rice and bake at 180 degrees until beginning to colour.

Now you can make all manner of savoury tarts. Here is one I was sent last week from a blog reader. It's a tomato, aubergine and mozzarella pie with homemade pesto (made from a large ripe tomato blitzed with olive oil, garlic and basil)

Before baking

Spread the pastry case with the pesto, lay the vegetables and cheese on top in a wheel pattern and bake until the vegetables are tender and the cheese has melted.

Tomato, Aubergine and Mozzarella pie

Photos and recipe courtesy of laBarbe.

A few other savoury tarts for your delectation:

Quiche Lorraine

This classic is made from fried bacon lardons, 2-3 handfuls of good strong grated cheese and a custard of 3 large eggs, lashings of salt and pepper and 200 ml of milk- baked at 190 degrees for 25 minutes or until firm and golden.

My own favourite : Tarte a l'Indienne (Chicken Curry Tart)

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/week-11-cooking-for-crowd.html

And a favourite with blog readers: Onion and OliveTart

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/week-23-pick-your-own.html

If you like your pies with a lid on, here's a few for you: Chicken and Leek Pie-

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/who-ate-all-pies.html#uds-search-results

and individual meat pies (filled with leftover casserole)

http://lizsleftovers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/use-it-up.html

And that's just using shortcurst pastry- there's plenty more recipes I could regale you with using puff pastry and filo pastry or spring roll wrappers (all of which I buy rather than make myself though).

But enough's enough, I think.

Even when it comes to pies...

Week 46- Galette des Rois (and other pastries)

The 6th of January is Epiphany, the Feast of Kings. (When the magi came to give gifts to the infant Jesus). It's also the end of the Roman feasts of Saturnalia, and Twelth Night in the UK.

In France, it's the day when they eat a sweet confection of puff pastry and almond filling known as a Galette des Rois. Never ones to miss out on a good pudding when the opportunity arises, the French.

Hidden inside this pastry dessert is a feve (originally a broad bean, but now a little statuette or charm). Whoever finds the charm in their slice becomes king or queen for the day and wears a paper crown. Others in the household must do their bidding.

If they like, they can place the charm in the wine glass of another who can become their royal consort also for the day.

This year, I thought I would bake a galette for myself. (And I know where the little body is buried!)

So this week's blog is less adoration of the magi, and more adoration of the pastry.

I've made three courses, but with three different sorts of pastry or dough- so I wouldn't necessarily eat them as a menu, as that might be a carb too far.

First course is Peking duck with pancakes, main is Turkey and Leek Pie and dessert- well, it's the Galette des Rois of course. (See what I mean?) Heavy stuff.

The Galette uses puff pastry, the pie uses shortcrust pastry and the little duck pancakes use a simple flour, salt and hot water dough.

For the galette- I have cheated and used shop bought puff pastry. Most people do apparently, even chefs nowadays.

Cut out two circles from the pastry, using a dinner plate as your guide. Spread one with apricot jam., and place it on a well greased baking sheet or one lined with baking paper.

Spread with jam and frangipane filling

Next make the filling from 100g softened butter beaten with 100g of caster sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla essence, a teaspoon of almond essence,100g of ground almonds and 2 eggs (lightly beaten - save a tablespoon of egg for your egg wash) until light and creamy in colour. Spread the butter mixture over the jam (hide a charm inside if you want to) and place on the pastry lid.
Use a knife to 'knock' the edges of the pie and crimp the pie together according to your artistic skills. The important part is the decoration of the lid. Use a sharp knife to score patterns into the pastry- swirls, crescents, leaves, shells- whatever you can. The more ornate the better.

Brush with beaten egg for a good glaze - and bake at  190 degrees for 15-20 minutes until risen and deep golden in colour.

Galette des rois

Serve decorated with a crown.

More humble (but equally delicious in its own way) is my Turkey and Leek Pie. (This used up the last of the Christmas turkey and the bread sauce.) If you are baking it later in the year, use chicken if you prefer. I recommend the use of bread sauce in the filling though.

Here's how I make my sauce: 1 small onion finely chopped and softened in some oil, 2 cups of soft breadcrumbs, a good grating of nutmeg, 3 cloves, 1 teaspoon of mixed spice, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper each, 1 tbsp of fresh parsley chopped fine and enough milk to mix.

Soften the onion in the pan, add the breadcrumbs, spices and seasonings and pour in milk until the mixture resembles thick porridge. Bring to the boil and add more milk as the bread swells and absorbs it. After a minute or two, turn off the heat and leave to infuse.

Now make your pastry shell. I like to make shortcrust pastry with half fat to flour- so 200g of plain flour, 100g of butter or marge, 1/2 tsp salt and cold water to mix.
Put the flour, salt and fat into the goblet of a food processor and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually trickle in some cold water until the mixture comes together and makes a ball. Turn out onto some cling film and put in the fridge to chill for half an hour minimum.

Meanwhile, soften a leek in some butter or oil.

Now take your chilled pastry, and line a flan dish with it. Cover with baking paper and baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes at 190 degrees, until just starting to colour.

Line a dish with pastry

Bake it blind

Mix the meat with the bread sauce and leeks

Mix the leeks with your leftover turkey or chicken, and coat with the bread sauce. Fill the pie shell with the filling and place on a pastry lid (rolled from the offcuts). Decorate as you wish and brush with milk or beaten egg.

Fill the pie shell

Bake at 180 degrees until crisp and golden.

Turkey and Leek Pie

Also leftover from Christmas I had half a duck. I had intended to serve it at Christmas dinner, but we had so much else it seemed excessive- so I chilled it, and the next day shredded the meat and froze it ready for pancakes.
Shredding involves separating the meat into shreds using two forks- you can do the same with turkey or pork. (If you want to use these with pancakes, just sprinkle with a little Chinese 5 spice powder and toss..every bit as good as duck.)


So, I've defrosted the duck shreds, shredded some spring onions and sliced some cucumber into thin batons- as well as pouring out individual dishes of hoi sin sauce. Now for the pancakes.

I used to trek over to the Chinese supermarket in search of these until I realized how easy they are to make yourself.

Put 100g of plain flour and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Pour on a splash of hot water and mix in, add more until you have a soft dough.

Roll into a sausage

Rol out discs thinly

Turn out onto a floured board and roll into a sausage.
Cut 1 cm discs from the sausage then roll each one out as thinly as you possibly can.
You can fry these in a tiny bit of sesame oil if you want, or steam them.

Give each of your guests 4 pancakes, some duck, some sauce and some shredded veg.
Assemble as you wish.

Peking Duck with pancakes

I hope you enjoy my tale of three pastries- Happy New Year and take care in 2014!