¿Quien no conoce la Tarta Tatin? Un postre clásico de la cocina francesa que ha seducido a cualquiera que lo haya probado. Es conocida también como tarta invertida, ya que al contrario que el resto de tartas, la masa está en la parte superior a la hora de hornearla, y se le da la vuelta a la hora de servirla, aún caliente.
Se dice que las hermanas Tatin, Stephanie y Caroline, elaboraron esta tarta por accidente en el hotel que regentaban, el Hotel Tatin ubicado en Lamotte-Beuvron (Francia), allá por el año 1889. ‘Culpan’ de este goloso accidente a Stephanie, la hermana que se ocupaba de la cocina, unos dicen que porque se pasó cocinando las manzanas y las caramelizó, otros dicen que se equivocó al poner las manzanas en el molde antes que la masa y hay también quien argumenta que la Tarta Tatin se creó a conciencia, siendo las tartas invertidas las que se solían hacer cuando no había hornos en las cocinas.
Sea como fuere, la Tarta Tatin ha pasado a la historia, incluso se ha modernizado, aunque es una de esas recetas que resultan imposibles de mejorar.
Lospanelletsson un postre de origen árabe que, en Cataluña, Valencia, Aragón y Baleares, se preparan en estas fechas. Tienen como base fundamental la almendra y son realmente deliciosos.
Por si alguien tiene curiosidad transcribo la receta de Carme Ruscalleda, una de nuestras grandes Chefs:
Ingredientes masa:
500 grs. de Almendras en polvo
350 grs. de Azúcar
150 grs. de Agua mineral
1 clara de Huevo
Otros ingredientes para añadir:
100 grs. de Piñones
150 grs. de Almendras en cubito
Una yema de Huevo
Ralladura de Limón
Ralladura de Naranja
Membrillo
Café soluble
Chocolate en polvo “puro Valor”
Chocolate fondant
Azúcar glass
Elaboración: En una cazuela amplia, se pone el agua y el azúcar. Se pone a fuego medio hasta que arranque a hervir. Volcar la almendra en polvo. Se ha de remover hasta que la pasta cueza y se desenganche de la cazuela. Dejar enfriar.Incorporar a la mezcla la clara de huevo sin montar, removiendo bien. Dejar reposar la pasta unas dos horas en la nevera (yo 12 horas, la preparé por la noche y los panellets los hice a la mañana siguiente).Dividimos la pasta madre en tantas partes como variedades queramos hacer. -Para los de piñones y almendra:Se cogen porciones de 14 grs. y se forman bolas pequeñas que se rebozan con los piñones. Se colocan encima de una bandeja con papel de horno y se pintan con una yema de huevo diluida en unas gotas de agua. Se hornean a 200º hasta que tengan color (6-8 minutos). De esta manera el interior queda tierno.Para variar el surtido, los de almendra podemos hacerlos de forma alargada siguiendo el mismo procedimiento que los de piñones. - Para los de limón y/o naranja:Se coge una porción de masa y se le añade la ralladura de limón y/o naranja. Se forman pequeñas bolas de 17 gramos y se rebozan con azúcar glass, marcando un hoyito en el centro. Se colocan encima de una bandeja sobre papel de horno y horneamos a 200º durante 6 minutos. Cuando enfríen rellenamos el hoyito con membrillo los de limón y con chocolate fundido los de naranja. - Para los de café y/o chocolate:Se coge una porción de masa y se le añade café soluble y/o chocolate en polvo puro Valor y se mezcla hasta conseguir una mezcla oscura uniforme. Se forman pequeñas bolas de 17 gramos y se hornean a 200º durante 6 minutos. Los terminamos bañando o pincelando con chocolate negro fundido.
Lo cierto es que todas las variedades son buenísimas, pero os recomiendo, especialmente los clásicos panellets de piñones, los de castaña y chocolate y los huesos de santo.
Well 2017 is definitely rolling along and seemingly at a record pace! August is coming to a close and we’re already seeing tinges of colour change in the greenery outside. While some of us may lament the seasonal change or the fact that we’re running a little thin on what’s left of summer you can take solace in the fact that it’s one of the most delicious times of the year…Harvest time!
So many sweet, succulent and savoury things are coming of age and ready to be incorporated into some serious Tastitude made right in your kitchen. There are millions of recipe options and so much deliciousness that it can be mind boggling. One of the best ways to maximize taste bud time is to use recipes that allow you to use a basic recipe to create a wide variety of flavour profiles. Enter one of my favourite eats…the Hand Pie.
Some people reference the hand pie as a turnover, an empanada, pirrakka or pirukad, a calzone, a pasty, a pita, as patties and even samosas but no matter what you call them hand pies are extremely versatile and an easy way to satiate the crew.
They can be sweet made with fresh fruit and berries, they can be savoury made with root vegetables and cheeses, they can be spicy to satisfy those that like to wipe their brows while they indulge and they can host any mix of ingredients that will have carnivores drooling and vegetarians swooning.
Hand pies are simple to make and can be easily mastered and made to suit almost any taste. One of my favourite things about hand pies is how easily cooking techniques, the dough and fillings can be interchanged to create so many different flavour profiles. They can be made to be at eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner and are perfectly portable ideal for work, school, outings or any other time when you need something that’s grab and go.
So here are some ideas and a recipe to give you a little help to get your very own hand pie handbook off the ground so you can enjoy some of what harvest time has to offer in your hand held eats. As a chef I guarantee you’ll enjoy exploring what the world beyond hot pockets and pizza pops has to offer.
– Chef House
Hand Pie Ideas:
Shepherd’s Hand Pies
All the best parts of a shepherd’s pie stuffed into a hand held pastry these ones are amazing deep fried
Broccoli and Chicken Alfredo with Gorgonzola
Dough Pockets filled with fresh broccoli florets, diced and cooked chicken with a Gorgonzola spiked Alfredo Sauce
Bacon, Egg and Hash Brown Breakfast Hand Pies
Although you can use scrambled egg in this one I like chopping up hardboiled egg and adding just a hint of mayo along with crispy bacon and hash browns along with a healthy dose of aged cheddar
Margherita Hand Pies
The meat won’t be missed in this vegetarian marvel with all the bold and fresh flavours including olive oil, parmesan, garlic, tomato, fresh basil and buffalo mozzarella. Baked or fried this one’s a favourite.
Pulled Pork Hand Pies
Imagine a BBQ pulled pork sandwich in a flaky and buttery crust. Need I say more?
Curried Lamb with Potato and Peas Hand Pie
Savoury and succulent lamb with a little international flavour and garden fresh boiled potato and peas. Definitely decadent.
Chef House’s Northern Fruit Harvest Hand Pies
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup bread or pastry flour 1 tbsp sugar 8 oz cold butter cubed ¾ cup cold water
Filling:
1 cup fresh blueberries 1 pound rhubarb, peeled and diced 1 cup strawberries, quartered ¼ cup corn starch 2 tbsp sugar ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
1 large egg beaten with a splash of water (for the egg wash) Crystal sugar
In a food processor, combine the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, bread flour, and sugar, pulsing to combine. Add the butter cubes to the food processor and pulse until the butter is evenly distributed. Add ½ cup of water; pulse the dough together until it just begins to clump together. The dough should begin to look shaggy. Add the remaining water one tablespoon at a time stopping when it starts to come together.
Remove the dough from the bowl of the food processor and place it on a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough a few times until it comes together and shape it into a mound. Cut the dough ball into 2 equal parts and wrap them in plastic wrap; transfer them to the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400F
To prepare the filling add the fruit, corn starch, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to a saucepan. Over medium heat cook the mixture for 5 minutes, until the fruit has softened. Depending on your fruit, there may be a bit of liquid and this is okay.
Remove the dough and liberally flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to about a 1/8 inch thick. Using a 4 inch cookie cutter, cut circles out of all the dough.
Spoon a small amount of the fruit mixture into the center of the dough. Brush egg wash along the edges of each of the dough circles. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges to seal. Using the tines of a fork, sealing the edges. Repeat the process until all of the hand pies are made. Transfer the pies to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the hand pies with egg wash and sprinkle with crystal sugar. Bake the pies for 15-17 minutes, until the tops and edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
Well 2017 is definitely rolling along and seemingly at a record pace! August is coming to a close and we’re already seeing tinges of colour change in the greenery outside. While some of us may lament the seasonal change or the fact that we’re running a little thin on what’s left of summer you can take solace in the fact that it’s one of the most delicious times of the year…Harvest time!
So many sweet, succulent and savoury things are coming of age and ready to be incorporated into some serious Tastitude made right in your kitchen. There are millions of recipe options and so much deliciousness that it can be mind boggling. One of the best ways to maximize taste bud time is to use recipes that allow you to use a basic recipe to create a wide variety of flavour profiles. Enter one of my favourite eats…the Hand Pie.
Some people reference the hand pie as a turnover, an empanada, pirrakka or pirukad, a calzone, a pasty, a pita, as patties and even samosas but no matter what you call them hand pies are extremely versatile and an easy way to satiate the crew.
They can be sweet made with fresh fruit and berries, they can be savoury made with root vegetables and cheeses, they can be spicy to satisfy those that like to wipe their brows while they indulge and they can host any mix of ingredients that will have carnivores drooling and vegetarians swooning.
Hand pies are simple to make and can be easily mastered and made to suit almost any taste. One of my favourite things about hand pies is how easily cooking techniques, the dough and fillings can be interchanged to create so many different flavour profiles. They can be made to be at eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner and are perfectly portable ideal for work, school, outings or any other time when you need something that’s grab and go.
So here are some ideas and a recipe to give you a little help to get your very own hand pie handbook off the ground so you can enjoy some of what harvest time has to offer in your hand held eats. As a chef I guarantee you’ll enjoy exploring what the world beyond hot pockets and pizza pops has to offer.
– Chef House
Hand Pie Ideas:
Shepherd’s Hand Pies
All the best parts of a shepherd’s pie stuffed into a hand held pastry these ones are amazing deep fried
Broccoli and Chicken Alfredo with Gorgonzola
Dough Pockets filled with fresh broccoli florets, diced and cooked chicken with a Gorgonzola spiked Alfredo Sauce
Bacon, Egg and Hash Brown Breakfast Hand Pies
Although you can use scrambled egg in this one I like chopping up hardboiled egg and adding just a hint of mayo along with crispy bacon and hash browns along with a healthy dose of aged cheddar
Margherita Hand Pies
The meat won’t be missed in this vegetarian marvel with all the bold and fresh flavours including olive oil, parmesan, garlic, tomato, fresh basil and buffalo mozzarella. Baked or fried this one’s a favourite.
Pulled Pork Hand Pies
Imagine a BBQ pulled pork sandwich in a flaky and buttery crust. Need I say more?
Curried Lamb with Potato and Peas Hand Pie
Savoury and succulent lamb with a little international flavour and garden fresh boiled potato and peas. Definitely decadent.
Chef House’s Northern Fruit Harvest Hand Pies
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup bread or pastry flour 1 tbsp sugar 8 oz cold butter cubed ¾ cup cold water
Filling:
1 cup fresh blueberries 1 pound rhubarb, peeled and diced 1 cup strawberries, quartered ¼ cup corn starch 2 tbsp sugar ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
1 large egg beaten with a splash of water (for the egg wash) Crystal sugar
In a food processor, combine the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, bread flour, and sugar, pulsing to combine. Add the butter cubes to the food processor and pulse until the butter is evenly distributed. Add ½ cup of water; pulse the dough together until it just begins to clump together. The dough should begin to look shaggy. Add the remaining water one tablespoon at a time stopping when it starts to come together.
Remove the dough from the bowl of the food processor and place it on a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough a few times until it comes together and shape it into a mound. Cut the dough ball into 2 equal parts and wrap them in plastic wrap; transfer them to the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400F
To prepare the filling add the fruit, corn starch, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to a saucepan. Over medium heat cook the mixture for 5 minutes, until the fruit has softened. Depending on your fruit, there may be a bit of liquid and this is okay.
Remove the dough and liberally flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to about a 1/8 inch thick. Using a 4 inch cookie cutter, cut circles out of all the dough.
Spoon a small amount of the fruit mixture into the center of the dough. Brush egg wash along the edges of each of the dough circles. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges to seal. Using the tines of a fork, sealing the edges. Repeat the process until all of the hand pies are made. Transfer the pies to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the hand pies with egg wash and sprinkle with crystal sugar. Bake the pies for 15-17 minutes, until the tops and edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
As a chef you often make crazy discoveries but oddly enough they aren’t always about food. You might discover your dishwasher is broken, half your staff is ill on Friday night or that your order won’t arrive today. You might discover you have a new dinner function for fifty seven people two hours before they arrive or even that you have a dozen special meals in a room twenty minutes after service starts. There are always so many new things to discover in the kitchen some of which can obviously increase blood pressure and turn some hair grey (that is if you haven’t pulled it all out yet.)
Not all discoveries are blood pressure increasing events though. While the other day I did turn around and discover that the summer is half gone I also discovered that its peak fruit season yet again. I have to admit that with me having been a little preoccupied with work lately it was really amazing to come home and find that my wife and son had taken a morning in the summer sun to go do a little berry picking. The berries this year seem a little smaller than usual but are very sweet. This means a little more work when it’s time for the cleaning but that they make for perfect additions to recipes or even for straight out of the bowl eating.
Another sweet discovery I had this week was finding absolutely stunning cherries at half the regular price per pound, it was a good find for sure. You know the type of cherries I mean. Cherries so dark and shiny they almost look black and so sweet you would think each was wrapped in a blanket of sugar. The cherries were definitely hard to resist and with as good as they were I figured getting extra was a wise move if I wanted any hope of having any left to cook with.
When I bit into those cherries it took me back a couple decades to the last time I had tasted cherries so good. With a couple of pounds of perfect cherries now in the game I was having such a hard time figuring out which to eat and which to make something with first. Of course the obvious choice was to roll both the ruby red strawberries and midnight black cherries into something that would make everyone happy.
One of my favourite fresh fruit desserts has always been the Clafouti. This simple yet classic dessert was one of the very first desserts I was introduced to in baking class at culinary school all those years ago and to this day I still marvel at how every time I enjoy a piece warm with a little real vanilla ice cream my taste buds time warp my memory right back to class.
Clafouti is one of those dishes that delivers rich and velvety baked custard flavours and is the perfect vessel for delivering summer fruit to your mouth and while I love crisps, cobblers and other baked dishes there is something decidedly more elegant about this classic and it’s just as easy to make. So if you’ve discovered that its peak fruit season and you’re looking to make a baked recipe discovery of your own this week check out my Cherry Berry Clafouti this week and make your repertoire a little sweeter in the process.
– Chef House
Chef House’s Summer Cherry Berry Clafouti
1 tablespoon butter 8 ounces fresh pitted cherries 8 ounces fresh strawberries 1 cup whole milk ½ cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup AP flour 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest Pinch of salt
Heat the oven to 400F
Coat a 10-inch heavy cast iron skillet with the butter and set aside.
Combine the milk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process until smooth.
Pulse in the flour, zest, and salt until just incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top evenly with the fruit and bake until set and light golden brown around the edges about 40 – 45 minutes.
