Golden Tarte Tatin

February 27, 2017 by TSJC

This is one of those rainy day recipes, relatively easy to make, and a great way of using tart crisp Granny Smith apples so readily available in every super market. The golden caramel adds loads of character to the apples, and store bought pastry keeps things simple. I always think a tarte tatin is best eaten fresh, an hour after its come out of the oven, but stolen leftovers at room temperature late at night are almost as delicious (don’t plan on leftovers). We cooked this recipe as part of our French evening in February at The Cookery and everyone agreed it was a winner if you want more details on our classes take a look HERE.

Tarte Tatin
8-10 slices

Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry, large enough to fit chosen pan
plain flour, for dusting
6-8 Granny Smith apples, size dependent
100gms caster sugar
70gms unsalted butter
25gms melted unsalted butter, for brushing

Good quality, store bought, vanilla ice cream, to serve

Directions
Step 1:
Start by rolling your pastry lightly, depending on the thickness until it is about 3mm thick, be careful you should only roll the pastry a little, don’t be tempted to try and fill a 30cm pan with a 15cm piece of pastry. Now cut a circle the same size as your chosen pan or dish, using a plate as a guide. Prick the pastry all over with a fork, wrap in baking paper or cling wrap and place on a baking sheet in the freezer while preparing the apples.

Step 2:
Heat oven to 170C fan or 180C conventional. Peel, quarter and core the apples.

Step 3:
Put the sugar in a 20cm ovenproof heavy-based frying pan and place on a stove at medium-high heat. Allow the sugar to melt and cook slowly for 5-7 mins until it is a dark amber caramel syrup that’s starting to smoke, then turn off the heat and stir in the 70g cold butter, that has been diced into small cubes.

Step 4:
To assemble the Tarte, arrange the apple quarters around the edge of the dish, rounded-side down or side on, just keep them nice and tight- then fill in the middle in a similar fashion. Gently press with your hands to ensure there are no gaps, be careful the caramel is hot! Now give the apples a generous brush with the melted butter

Step 5:
Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 mins, then remove and place the frozen pastry over the apples, it will soften in place quickly, take a little time to tuck the edges in around the edge of the dish. The cut a few small steam vents before placing the tarte back into the oven.

Step 6:
Bake for 40-45 mins until the pastry is golden brown and crisp.

Step 7:
Allow the tarte to stand at room tempt for at least 45-minutes before carefully running a knife around the edge, and inverting it onto a plate, serve warm or room temperature with the icecream

Delicious and easy to make, sweet caramel apples balanced off by the apples natural sharpness – delicious.

Quin-what?

June 3, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

This little pseudo-cereal (its called that because it looks like grain but its actually a seed) is so popular in South America that the UN named 2013 Year of the Quinoa. This super seed is far higher than cereal in protein and also it is naturally gluten free. The high levels of naturally occurring flavanoids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. Eaten either as a cereal or rice substitute, whilst it is used as a cereal substitute the plant actually belongs to the same family as spinach or chard.

It takes about 15-20 minutes to cook and it stores well once cooked. I made this breakfast recipe using milk instead of water but if you are planning on cooking a large batch for the week use water to prevent the milk from souring the quinoa.

I used these small ramekins to serve the quinoa in as part of a bigger health breakfast.

Caramelised Honey Pears & Spiced Quinoa
Serves 4

Ingredients
– 1,5 cups quinoa
– 3 cups milk (plus extra)
– large pinch cinnamon
– 1 star anise
– pinch salt
– 1 pear sliced
– 1 tsp butter
– 1 tsp honey

Start by bringing the quinoa, spices and milk to a boil. Lower the heat and keep on a gently simmer, stirring occasionally. If the milk all gets absorbed add a little more. Remember it is a porridge so you want it to have a nice silky consistency. Whilst the quinoa is cooking, heat the butter in a pan, add the pears and the honey. Allow to quickly carmelise, dont overcook them they should still be slightly firm to add some texture. Serve in ramekins drizzled with a little more honey and milk or a spoon of cream.

Crunchy Pecan Apple Honey Ripple

May 19, 2014 by TSJC 2 Comments

I loved this Boekenhout honey the moment I smelt it, its flavor is so buttery and creamy, and whilst it is sweet because it is honey, it isn’t sickly sweet, doesn’t make sense but taste it and you will see what I mean. If an apple a day can keep the doctor away, imagine what will happen if you add this incredible honey, pecan nuts and some creamy greek yoghurt. I don’t like to peel the apples because the skin adds to the fibre, but you can if you want to.

Crunchy Pecan Apple Honey Ripple
Makes 4-6 portions

Ingredients
– 4 green apples, cored and sliced
– 3 tbsp. creamy honey
– 120gms pecan nuts
– 80gms muesli
– 20gms butter + extra for apples
– 1tbsp brown sugar

Core the apples and then slice them into 0.5 cm thick slices, brush them very lightly with some melted butter. Heat a griddle pan (frying pan will do) till hot and then add your apples slices. Allow them to caramelize before turning them, they should soften slightly but not completely. While the apples are cooking add the butter and sugar to a small sauce pan. Once the butter has melted add the muesli and the chopped pecan nuts. Allow the mixture to begin to caramelise before taking it off the heat. To prepare the yoghurt mix the honey until it is softened and nice and loose, then stir it gently into the yoghurt. Don’t over work it, you want it to have a honey ripple effect, so that some mouthfuls will be filled with honey taste and some less.

To assemble place the pan fried apple in the bottom of individual glasses or bowls, then top them with a small sprinkle of the roasted nut mixture, before topping with the rippled yoghurt. Then sprinkle the balance of the nutty crunch over the top.

If you are making this for a lunch box treat the next day allow all the ingredients to cool completely before assembling it.

Simply parfait!

May 8, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Whether you are quickly throwing this together for yourself midweek or assembling it for a weekend brunch, this simple yoghurt parfait relies on great quality ingredients to deliver a truly decadent anytime treat. Full cream greek yoghurt without thickeners is a must, and the fruit can be changed to suit the season.
VERY BERRY YOGHURT PARFAIT
Serves 4

– 320ml full cream Greek yoghurt
– 1 cup fresh berries
– 1 cup muesli
– 1/3 cup nuts, whatever you have on hand
– honey to drizzle

Place 2tbsp of the yoghurt into the bottom of your glass and smooth, now layer the berries topped with the muesli and another layer of the yoghurt. Repeat the process until the ingredients are finished and you end with a few berries on top. If the berries aren’t very sweet, drizzle them with some honey as you assemble.

Poached Peaches

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

For a quick, sweet and fruity breakfast nothing beats sweet vanilla poached peaches with some vanilla yoghurt.
In a small pot add about 350ml water, 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp vanilla. Cut the peaches in half and remove the stone, add them cut side down and cook for 5 minutes before turning them and allowing a few more minutes. Once they have cooled slightly the skin will just slip off, serve them with some yoghurt and a tiny drizzle of the honeyed water.

Fig and Blue Cheese Salad

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

This quick starter (or light meal) takes about 4-minutes to prepare, it looks elegant and has great flavour. The secret is in making sure you use great ingredients, sweet pears and figs and tangy, creamy blue cheese.
Layer rocket salad, sweet Bosc pears (peeled & sliced and dipped in a solution of water and lemon juice), fresh figs (torn into 1/4’s), handful of fresh pecan nuts and some finely sliced celery. Drizzle it with a sweet dressings. I use a really great quality balsamic for this salad because it adds so much to the flavour whisked with some good olive oil and a tiny bit of fynbos honey.

Dragon Fruit

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Following on the story I did on prickly pears is this flamboyant over the top cousin the Dragon fruit, also a member of the cactus family.
Celebrated for it’s sweet crunchy texture a cross between pear and kiwi fruit in flavour this fruit also has many nutritional benefits. It’s low in calories, high in fibre and rich in vitamins and nutrients. The most impressive part about this fruit must however be how beautiful it is, a striking centre piece to any fruit platter.

To serve dragon fruit, slice the fruit down the centre, you will see a pulpy inner section and a thick soft rind, using a tablespoon cleanly scoop the fruit out, the way you would an avocado. Be careful not to damage the soft rind as once you have diced the fruit you want to place it back into the rind for serving.

Bosc Pear

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

The Bosc pear – in season at the moment – is famed for it’s dense, juicy, smooth flesh which is why it’s also known as the king of pears. Dress a few slices of pear with blueberries, raspberries, figs and some yoghurt for a quick fix breakfast loaded with flavour and nutrients.

Salty, sweet – definitely yummy!

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

If you are anything like me, you grew up when you could buy a whole watermelon for R15 (I’m 38 not 80) and it was huge and red – but now supermarkets want us to pay R49 for 1kg of cleaned watermelon.
So I always buy a whole watermelon from my fruiterer, but then have to find as many ways as possible to eat it all. Plain and simple is always good, blended with berries and some yoghurt is an awesome anti-oxidant smoothie and in the following as a salad is great on a hot day like today.

WATERMELON & DANISH FETA SALAD
– 600g cleaned watermelon, chunks
– 300g Danish feta, roughly crumbled
– 150g black olives, pitted
– 1 large red onion, finely sliced
– a couple of sprigs of mint
– white balsamic and olive oil

Pile your deseeded watermelon, chopped into rough largish chunks onto a serving plate. Scatter with olives, onions rings, feta and mint and dress 10 minutes before serving (dress to taste). Allowing 10 minutes of standing will allow some of the watermelon juice to blend with your dressing, naturally sweetening it. A crack of black pepper and you good to go.

Figs and Parma Ham

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Sweet and tangy!

Oven roasted cherry tomatoes are a perfect way to capture the best of a sweet summer harvest for use when winter hits, and they are great in all kinds of dishes.

When you find an especially good batch of cherry tomatoes at a great price grab a couple of bags. Start by preheating your oven to 100C, rinse your tomatoes, then slice them lengthways, and then by inserting your nail at one end remove the seeds. I add salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and a splash of olive oil to a bowl and then add the tomatoes, tossing till thoroughly coated. Arrange them on a tray in a single layer and roast slowly till they have become wrinkled and have lost all visible juice.

At this stage they are ready for addition to any dish from pasta to a seafood stew. If you intend storing them you will need to follow the standard steps for bottling, I store them in olive oil, I find extra virgin to strong. (I never went through the standard steps because there are a few and getting them right means opening a bottle of delicious tomatoes not rotten ones, if there is interest in how to do it let me know and I will post something)

The Secret Jozi Chef

Home of The Cookery

Golden Tarte Tatin

Quin-what?

Crunchy Pecan Apple Honey Ripple

Simply parfait!

Poached Peaches

Fig and Blue Cheese Salad

Dragon Fruit

Bosc Pear

Salty, sweet – definitely yummy!

Figs and Parma Ham

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