I had some leftover pâte brisée that I didn’t want to throw away, so here we go…of course, you can replace mussels with scallops or shrimps. This is just very easy to make and the use of those mini tarts are versatile. I ate eight of them for lunch with a salad, but obviously those types of bites are more appropriate for entertaining as a pass-on appetizer or on a buffet display, than as a main course…besides no one would eat those as a main course, unless very hungry and nothing else to eat.

I have to say that I am still hungry so I could have easily eaten some extras, but no no, let’s stay moderate especially when pâte brisée has some nice amount of butter, like this one. Usually I make dough with olive oil, but this one is the traditional pâte brisée. Well, a small amount of butter never killed anyone, so let’s be kind to butter and not demonize it.

This is a very short story: 1) Left over pâte brisée, 2) little time to cook and 3) hunger, there is nothing else and nothing exciting behind those tartlets. Well, yes there are my adorable and colorful mini molds I brought back from France. They are quite small, about 1.5 inch diameter, you can see the mussel fit right in.

Ingredients for about 30-40 bites or 6 people

For the pate brisée (traditional)

•  8.8 oz (or 250 g) flour
• 1 yolk
• 4.4 oz (or 125 g) butter, diced
• one pinch salt
• a few tbs water

For the filling

• 30-40 mussels
• 2 tbs fromage blanc or thick yogurt such as greek yogurt
• 6.7 fl oz (or 20 cl) crème fraȋche
• 1 tbs parsley
• a few drops of meyer lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Preparation

For the pâte brisée

In a mixing container, add flour, yolk, a pinch salt, water and butter. Mix all ingredients together carefully to incorporate butter but do not mix too much or the dough will break apart when rolling it. Form a ball, and wrap in plastic. Let rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

For the filling

Heat olive oil in a pan, add mussels, stir for a few minutes, then add yogurt and cream, lemon juice, parsley salt and pepper. Stir for a few more minutes, then remove from heat.

Roll dough in a flat surface and using a cookie ring, cut out circles to fill your molds. Add one mussel in each mold and fill it with cream/yogurt mixture.

Cook in a pre heated oven at 370F for about 20 minutes or until the tartlets are nice and lightly brown.

I am a heavy smoker of those cigarettes! The excitement is more related to the feuilles de brick (the wrapping sheets, literally translated into “sheet brick”) than to those cigarettes themselves. I used to bring feuilles de brick from France anytime I went there, just because I cannot find them in the US. Strangely enough, no store carries them (even though feuilles de brick are Middle Eastern), not even the Middle Eastern stores. Most people here use filo dough instead or won ton wrappers, which are very different.

I love feuilles de brick just because they are not as fragile as filo dough and the texture is much more pleasant, the “crunch” is very different. You can check more recipe here with feuille de brick.

Now my frustration ended, thanks to Laurent and his “Gourmet and More” Epicerie he opened in San Francisco, in Hayes Valley. Whoever lives in the city has to go to Gourmet and More if they’re into real French products (not imitation). They even have a “cheese room” where they cut the cheese for you, yes! you have “Fromage à la coupe“, like in France, and not wrapped in plastic like at Whole Foods or most stores. They sell boudin noir, boudin blanc, saucisse de Toulouse, de lapin, rillettes, crozet (pasta specialty from Savoie), many olive oil, teas, etc… a heaven for French people or those who like French products.

Anyway, those cigarettes are filled with leeks, shrimps and mushrooms and baked in the oven. You can also fried the cigarettes in a pan with oil but I prefer to bake them to make them lighter and not as oilier. You can fill them with whatever you like and served with a simple green salad as an appetizer or light lunch, they’re delightful.

Don’t forget, if you are rooming around San Francisco one of those days, drop by “Gourmet and More“, say Bonjour to Laurent and Josiane (his wife), get some cheese…and some feuilles de brick!

Ingredients for 4 cigarettes

• 1 tbs olive oil + 1 tsp for basting
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 6 large shiitake, finely diced
• 20 medium shrimps, cut finely
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tbs crème fraîche
• 1 tbs chives, chopped finely
• 4 feuilles de brick
• salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a pan, add shallots and cook them for a few minutes until soft. Add leeks and shiitake, cover and cook at medium heat until the vegetables are cooked and the water evaporated. Add shrimps and cook for a few minutes. Adjust with salt and pepper. Add garlic and stir well. Add crème fraîche and cook until the cream has thickened and reduced (no liquid in the pan). Add chives and mix well.

Place about 3 tbs of mixture in a feuille de brick and roll in order to form cylinders, like you would do to make egg rolls.

Baste with some olive oil. Pre-heat oven at 370F and bake for about 20 minutes or until all the sides are golden brown and crunchy. Serve hot on a beg of green mâche or peppery salad.

]]> http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2012/08/do-you-smoke-cigarettes-with-leeks-shrimps-and-shiitake/feed/ 3 http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2012/04/depending-on-where-you-are-flammkuchen-or-tarte-flambee-with-salmon/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=depending-on-where-you-are-flammkuchen-or-tarte-flambee-with-salmon http://citronetvanille.com/blog/2012/04/depending-on-where-you-are-flammkuchen-or-tarte-flambee-with-salmon/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 06:15:52 +0000 silvia http://www.citronetvanille.com/blog/?p=14226 Ca dépend d’où vous êtes – flammkuchen ou tarte flambée au saumon

Growing up in Lorraine, and Lorraine being Alsace’s close neighbor, I am quite familiar with tarte flambée, which is an Alsacian Specialty (they eat it in Germany and close regions as well). It’s literally translated into “flamed tart” but has nothing to do with being flamed. The word flamed probably comes from the fact that tarte flambée used to be cooked in very hot wood ovens and very quickly, therefore the crust border turned all burnt and black by the intense heat. Flammkuchen is the Alsacian/German translation that we also use when talking about tarte flambée. If, for whatever reason you end up in the Eastern part of France, and more precisely in Strasbourg (which is a magnificent city) you can go to this wonderful brasserie right next to the cathedral (I think it’s called Caveau Gurtlerhoft) to experience a sinful tarte flambée. The traditional is made out of crème fraîche, fromage blanc, onions and lard fumé (thick cut bacon), you have other variations, such as the vegetarian, or with mushrooms, etc…and also salmon like this one. I sometimes substitute heavy cream to crème fraîche, but it will not work here, you need the thick consistency of crème fraîche for the topping. 

Tarte flambée is a peasant dish, just like pizza. The original tartes had a rectangular shape, and eaten burning hot and rolled. Nowadays, most restaurants serve them round, probably because it’s easier to cut in slices, and you don’t have to burn your fingers rolling them, even though few restaurants still make them rectangular like in the old times.

If you want some different and fun alternative to pizza, try one of those, you won’t be disappointed, they’re so delicious, and easy to prepare. You can use a bread dough or pizza dough, it just needs to be rolled very thin.

Ingredients for 2 tartes

• Bread dough about 5.30 oz (or 150 gr) per ball, (recipe here)
• 4 tbs crème fraîche (2 on each tarte)
• 8 tbs Fromage blanc or Page Greek yogurt
• 1 large yellow onion, cut in half and thin sliced crosswise
• 1/2 lb (or 250 gr) smoked salmon
• salt and pepper
• chives, chopped for decoration

Preparation

In a mixing container, mix crème fraîche and fromage blanc.

Form two little balls with the dough and roll them thin.

Place dough on a pizza dish. Spread evenly the crème/fromage blanc mixture. Add onions, then add salmon. adjust with salt and pepper. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 400F, for about 15 minutes or so. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with chives. Serve very hot.

Grapes for me is the fruit that symbolizes fall, probably because of the harvesting of the grapes in France (vendanges).  Today, I wanted to feature a very simple French dish using grapes and combined with salmon, and this one turned out much better than it used to, probably because this time I cooked the salmon skin up and not down (touching the pan). So if you have some salmon and want to try something quick and new, this would be a good choice.

Usually, I do not combine fruits and fish, but it works very well in this case. The grapes don’t have a strong flavor, and their slight sweetness associated with the acidity of the wine and crème fraîche balances the dish very well.

You can use scallops instead of the shrimps, and substitute white fish to salmon.

I bet most of you must be getting ready for Thanksgiving with all the food preparation and planning, so this salmon would be perfect after you’re done with the festivities and the turkey. I know Thanksgiving is a huge celebration in the US, when the families gather and get together around a traditional meal. For us, it’s more like an opportunity to have a dinner with friends, since everyone is off, and right now I still haven’t figured out what I will have for dinner. I have absolutely no idea…I can always serve this salmon, and see the look on everyone’s face when instead of a beautiful golden the turkey, I bring out salmon. I don’t think I’ll have the guts to do that!

So if one of those nights, you’re up for quick, easy and delicious, voilà! you got your meal!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Ingredients for 4

• 4 salmon fillets (or steaks)
• 20 shrimps, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 bunches white grapes, peeled and seeds removed
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 3.38 fl oz (or 10 cl) white wine
• 1/3 cup fish fumet
• 1 tbs crème fraîche
• salt and pepper
• dill for decoration

Preparation

Peel and remove seeds from grapes. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a pan and add shallots. Cook slowly until soft. Add shrimps, let them cook both sides, then add grapes, wine and fumet. Let the sauce reduce to half. Add cream, salt and pepper.

At the same time, in a non stick pan, cook salmon in 1 tbs olive oil about 2 minutes on each side, or longer if you like the salmon well done.

Place salmon in a plate,  arrange shrimps and raisins, all around, then pour the sauce on top. Decorate with dill.