Tag: patricia wells

Patricia Wells’ Caramelised Upside-down Pear Tart (Tarte Tatin aux Poires)

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 8 – 10

This is such an elegant yet rustic tart, expertly plated by Nat for a long afternoon of bistro French.

It can be prepared in advance and served with a homemade vanilla bean ice cream, it ended what was just a wonderful lunch.

Perfectly on theme.

Ingredients

6 tbsp unsalted butter
7 to 8 firm pears, preferably Bosc, peeled, quartered and cored
1/2 c sugar
Crème fraîche to serve

Pâte brisée (Flaky pastry)

1 to 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
7 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp ice water

Method

  1. Prepare the Pâte brisée: place 1 cup of flour, the butter and salt in a food processor. Process just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. All the ice water and pulse just until the pastry begins to hold together, about 6 – 8 times. Ao not let it form a ball. Transfer the pastry to waxed paper; flatten the dough into a disk. If the dough seems too sticky, sprinkle it with additional flour, incorporating 1 tbsp at a time. Wrap the pastry in waxed paper and refridgerate for at least 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 220c.
  3. Melt the butter in a deep skillet (30cm) over medium-high heat. Stir in the pears and sugar. Cook, stirring carefully from time to time, so the pears and sugar do not stick, 20 minutes. (The more you stir, the more likely you are to end up woth caramel, which you do not want.)
  4. Increase the heat to high and cook until the pears and sugar are a deep, golden brown, though not caramel. Shake the pan from time to time to ensure the sugar does not burn.
  5. Literally pile the pears into an unbuttered round (27cm) clear glass baking dish or a special tin-lined copper tart Tatin pan.
  6. Roll out the Pâte brisée slightly larger than the dish. Place the pastry on top of the pears, tucking a bit of the dough around the edges and down into the dish. You do not need to prick the dough.
  7. Place the tart in the center of the oven and bake until the pears bubble and the pastry is a deep, golden brown, about 35 – 40 minutes.
  8. Remove the tart from the oven and immediately place a large, flat heatproof serving platter top-side down on top of the baking dish or pan. Invert the pan and give the bottom a firm tap to release any pears that might be sticking to the bottom. Slowly release the baking dish, so the tart falls evenly onto the serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature, passing a bowl of crème fraîche to spoon over the tart.

Patricia Wells’ Fresh Roasted Salmon with Olive Oil (Escalope de Saumon Frais Roti a l’Huile d’Olive)

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 4

What a simple, fabulous French dish. And so old school as well!

It is from Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells, a book I am dying to cook more and more from.

Just read the ingredients, put a bottle of French white on ice and slice the bread. This is a late Sunday lunch and snooze wrapped up.

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely minced
4 medium tomatoes (peeled, cored, seeded and chopped)
½ c crème fraiche
4 salmon fillets, with skin attached
Salt
1 large bunch of fresh basil, minced

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 165c.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet or solid saucepan. When the oil is hot, though not smoking, add the eschallots and sauté until soft, but not browned; around 2 – 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking until much of the liquid has cooked away; about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the crème fraiche. Cook just long enough to heat the cream, and set aside.
  3. Brush the salmon and skin with the remaining oil. Heat an oven-proof pan over a medium-high heat. (The best way to achieve a crispy skin is to use a copper or metal bottomed pan, ensuring the fish is sufficiently oiled, and pressing the skin into the heat for 20 seconds.)
  4. Adding no oil, cook the salmon, skin down for 2 minutes. Season with salt. Turn the salmon over and cook for 2 more minutes, seasoning with salt again.
  5. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until opaque.
  6. To serve, stir the basil into the sauce. Spoon several tablespoons of sauce in the middle of the plate and place the salmon on top of the sauce. A crack of pepper and serve with crusty bread.