Skip to main content

Salt-Cured Black Olives in a Bag

ingredients 2kg fresh black olives. 1/2kg coarse salt. 1 orange (optional). extra virgin olive oil. preparation Start by rinsing the olives well under cold water, then dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel. This is important because any moisture will interfere with the curing process. Mix the olives with the salt in a large bowl, making sure they're evenly coated. Pour everything into a sturdy plastic bag and seal it tightly with a clip or tie. Lay the bag flat in a shallow tray or dish (it might release a bit of liquid as the olives cure), and tuck it away in a kitchen cupboard or pantry. Somewhere dark and cool works best. Every 3 or 4 days, flip the bag over without opening it. This helps the salt work its way around all the olives. Keep this up for 4 weeks from the day you started. After the month is up, your olives will look nicely wrinkled and feel firmer. Rinse them under fresh water and place them in a bowl. Cover them completely with clean wa...

Apple Crostata





The crostata is a classic Italian tart that you can fill with all sorts of fruit or even chocolate. Today, I'm making it with apples — a favorite in my kitchen when the season brings us those lovely golden varieties.


Resources

Cost: €0.50 per serving
Preparation time: 60 minutes


Ingredients

for 6 servings

for the shortcrust pastry

  • 350g pastry flour.
  • 70g cornstarch (maicena).
  • 1 egg.
  • 170g powdered sugar.
  • 1 tsp baking powder (Royal type).
  • 170g very cold butter.
  • 1 pinch of salt.
  • 1 egg yolk.
  • 1 tablespoon of milk to brush the pastry.

for the apple compote:

  • 1kg Golden apples (or any variety you like).
  • 120g sugar.
  • 2 tablespoons of water.
  • juice of half a lemon.

 

Preparation

Start by making the compote — you can even prepare this ahead of time if you'd like.
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over very low heat for about 15 minutes. Blend it smooth and let it cool completely.
For the dough, mix together the flour, salt, and sugar with your hands. Add the cold butter and rub it into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse sand...
Add the egg and keep working it with your hands. Do this quickly — the less you handle it, the more tender your pastry will be. Shape it into a ball and refrigerate for 30 minutes...
Cut a round of parchment paper a few centimeters larger than your pan.
Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into two pieces — one should be slightly larger than the other.
Place the larger piece on the parchment and flatten it out to match the shape and size of the paper. Transfer it into your pan, pour the compote over the top, smooth it out, and pop it back in the fridge...
Flatten the remaining dough on another piece of parchment and put it in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Take it out and slice it into strips. Weave them into a lattice pattern roughly the size of your tart...
Put it back in the freezer for 5 minutes, then carefully lay the lattice over the tart. Use your fingers to press the ends of the strips into the edges...
Beat the egg yolk with the milk and brush it over the pastry. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C until the pastry is cooked through and beautifully golden...
If you'd like the compote to have a bit more shine, you can brush it with apple jelly. Let it cool in the fridge and serve it chilled...
It's absolutely delicious!

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Cod with Hazelnut Crust and Roasted Vegetables

  ingredients 4 pieces of desalted cod. flour for dusting the cod. 100g roasted hazelnuts, chopped. a small piece of orange peel. 2 sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped. 1 egg. salt. extra virgin olive oil. for the vegetables: 1 small zucchini. 1/2 red bell pepper. two onions. 2 garlic cloves. 5 or 6 pitted prunes, halved. two tablespoons of currants. 100ml white wine. salt. freshly ground black pepper. extra virgin olive oil. preparation First, you'll want to make the coating for the cod. Grind the hazelnuts with the piece of orange peel and chopped parsley, then stir in the beaten egg. Dust the cod pieces lightly with flour, then coat them with the hazelnut mixture. Put the currants and prunes in a small bowl with a bit of water to soak while you prepare the vegetables. Rinse the vegetables well and drain them thoroughly. Slice the onions and zucchini into rounds, dice the bell pepper, and mince the garlic. In a deep skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of oil and sauté the onion, bell peppe...
Read more

Beet Salad with Zucchini, Asparagus, and Pear

ingredients for 4 people 1 bunch of green asparagus. 2 medium zucchini. 2 pears, unpeeled. 1 or 2 ripe tomatoes. cooked black beans (or white beans work too). small chunks of cheese (whatever you fancy). toasted sliced almonds. for the dressing: juice of 1/2 lemon. freshly ground black pepper. salt. 1 tsp honey. 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. preparation Start by making your dressing. Whisk together all those ingredients until they're well blended and slightly thickened. Set it aside for now. Get your asparagus ready... and cook them in salted water once it comes to a boil. Let them cook for about 4 minutes, then pull them out and plunge them straight into plenty of cold water to stop the cooking. Set them aside. Now for the zucchini. Give them a good wash, then use a mandoline to slice them into thin ribbons like tagliatelle. If you don't have one, a vegetable peeler does the trick just fine... Drop those zucchini ribbons into boil...
Read more

Red Velvet Cream Cake with Currant Flavor

This is a cake that features a brilliant red sponge, and the contrast with the pure white cream makes it absolutely stunning! Ingredients for 8 to 10 servings 4 whole eggs 300g sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 125g butter, at room temperature 280g all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 pinch of salt 2 tablespoons red food coloring 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 teaspoon currant extract (optional) 240ml buttermilk for the buttermilk 240ml whole milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice to finish the cake 750g heavy cream (35% fat) 220g powdered sugar you'll also need a 22cm diameter cake pan butter for greasing the pan flour for dusting Preparation To make the buttermilk , pour the 240ml of milk into a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil... add the lemon juice, stir well, and remove from the heat. The milk will look curdled — that's exactly what you want. Let it cool for about 5 minutes... mix i...
Read more