One of life’s guilty pleasures has to be a bowl of hot mashed potato. And it is one of the most versatile products that we can use to create a great plate of food. They can be used to form a foundation for the presentation, provide a contrasting texture on the plate, and become ‘a vehicle of flavour’. That is, they become a method of adding a complimentary flavour to a plate. Such as horseradish mash with beef, or saffron mash with fish. In a similar way, they can absorb flavour on a plate such as the gravy of a stew or braise.
Gratin Dauphinoise Potatoes are an absolute classic crowd pleaser, and so versatile. The lusciously rich creamy potato with a boost of garlic is a great accompaniment to both red and white meats. Its easy to make and can be made ahead and reheated if needed. I’m going to show you the correct method for making the gratin, so forget what you may have had in the past and try these out.
Courgette and Tomato Tarts, with feta cheese and Basil. It’s mid-summer, the tomatoes are ripening, and the courgettes are going wild. These Courgette and Tomato Tarts are an ideal way of using up this seasonal bounty. And impressing your guests.
I have been making this starter for years and it has always been a favourite of my guests. Light, crispy and full of flavour it’s easy to make. And the best part is to serve it, you just pop it into the oven.
In fact, some years ago my team served this to 300 people for a charity dinner. With each of five chefs producing a course. It was quite a bit of work to prepare the tarts. But when it came to the time to serve the course it was the quickest and easiest of the entire meal.
Place the butter into a small pan with the bruised garlic and thyme then put it on to melt. We don’t want to toast the butter, just melt it enough to separate the milk and fat. When you see the butter begin to clear, stain it into a warm bowl leaving the milky part in the pan. This can be discarded.
Take the pastry and carefully unwrap it. Then cover the pastry with a tea towel to avoid it drying out. Lift off a sheet of pastry and place it on a flat surface. Brush lightly with the melted butter then cover with a second sheet of pastry.
Brushing the filo with melted butter
Storing the bases.
Repeat the process until you have a sheet of pastry three layers thick and with butter. You can if you wish use olive oil instead of the butter, however you will need to cook the flans as soon as they are made. The butter will cool on the pastry and form a waterproof layer to protect the pastry. This allows us to make the flans in the morning. Pop them into the fridge, then cook them at night. How easy is that!
Cut out disks of pastry using a saucer or small plate about 10cm diameter cutting around with the point of a sharp knife. Arrange the disks on squares of baking paper on a tray that will fit in the fridge and put aside.
Now for the topping.
Tomato ready for dicing
Remove the skin of the tomatoes. Blanch, peel, and de-seed the tomatoes. Cut the flesh into 8mm dice and set aside
Wilted courgettes
Top, tail and wash the courgettes then slice into 4mm thick slices. Pour some of the olive oil into a large shallow pan over a medium heat. Half cook the slices by tossing in the hot oil with a clove of garlic and sprig of thyme for flavour. Spread the cooked courgette on to a tray and allow to cool.
Laying out the courgettes
Arrange the courgette on the filo discs in concentric circles starting 5mm in from the edge. Overlapping each slice slightly until the disc is covered. Don’t be tempted to season the tarts yet, the salt will make them weep.
Final additions.
Adding diced tomato and pesto
Lay a tablespoon of tomato in the centre of each tart. Set a teaspoon of pesto on the tomato then cover with the remaining diced tomato. This will protect the pesto from the heat of the oven, while adding a little punch to the flavour.
Drain the feta and dry off with kitchen paper, then cut the cheese into 6mm dice. Divide the cheese between the flans and sprinkle with pine kernels. Again, if you want you can change the cheese, but I find feta to be ideal. In the oven it gently toasts without running and it’s salty tang gives the tarts a bit of a kick.
Ready for the oven
Serving.
To serve. Lift the flan’s on their paper squares onto a baking sheet. Lightly season then bake in a 200˚c oven for about 10 mins when they should be crisp and golden. The edges of the pastry will souffle up to form a border around the courgettes. Lift each flan onto a serving plate, sprinkle with freshly cut basil and pour a little chive oil around.
The finished Courgette and Tomato tarts
This is one of the most flexible dishes I know. Serve it as a starter, light lunch, or replacement fish course. I have even tiny ones to use as a canape in the past. I would love to know how you get on.
Enjoy life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
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