Weekend cooking: Roast chicken pie

Let me first explain the origin of this recipe: most times, I tend to pay the utmost attention to the quality of the food I eat and cook... Most times. There are times when I am just so famished/dead tired/with no time to waste/unwilling to cook that I ... hmm, will get the less than good quality, readily-available cooked meal in front me, just to satisfy my primal instinct of survival. That's how this recipe happened. I looked at the roasted chicken in front of me at the supermarket, bought it and went home. I had my portion which, of couse, I drowned in all sorts of condiments and I was satisfied. 

Weekend cooking - salmon and zucchini tart

I try to find inspiration for my cooking from all sorts of occasions:  a good meal at a restaurant, an open market with fresh produce, or, again, a tart from the famous Les Tartes de Françoise in Brussels, devoured at a friend's house.

The "innovative" aspect in this tart, was the combination of salmon and zucchini, which, together with the creamy egg mixture, rendered it mouthwatering, and - believe me - not heavy at all.  In addition, given that salmon not really "fishy" is, this tart can provide an excellent alternative to the meaty varieties.  New challenge ahead:  try to make it myself!  After a few tries (I mean, how difficult is it to mix salmon and zucchini), I had a new recipe under my belt!

Salmon and zucchini tart

Salmon and zucchini tart

1 pack (230g) puff pastry (I use all butter)

600g zucchini, grated 

1 small red onion, finely chopped

500g fresh salmon 

juice from half a lemon

50g cheddar cheese, grated

4 eggs, medium

250g single cream

1 tbsp corn flour

Dill, to serve

In medium-high heat, slightly fry zucchini and onion, until most of the water is evaporated.  Season and leave to cool.  Wash salmon, cut in smallish cubes, sprinkle with lemon juice.  Beat eggs with cream and cheese, season well. Lay pastry in a 26cm round pie form, sprinkle with corn flour, so the base doesn't get soggy.  Now, you can either lay zucchini and salmon first and pour the egg and cheese mixture on top, or, as I do, mix everything together and pour at once!!! (I never said I was conventional..).  Bake at 180^oC for about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with dill and serve - enjoy!

This post is my entry into Weekend Cooking, a weekly event hosted by Beth Fish Reads.

Weekend cooking - The Art of the Tart

I was introduced to the magic world of Tamasin Day-Lewis by a good friend of mine, who wanted to show me the new breed of chefs who pay attention to detail and quality, without making too much fuss about themselves (...)

Tamasin is the sister of actor Daniel Day-Lewis, but she certainly does not stand in his shadow.  She has penned a number of books and presented several cooking programmes on British TV.  Now, why I should bother with yet another writer, when I can get the recipes I want on the Internet at no cost, you say?

Because, I believe, there is always the added value of a serious professional.  Day-Lewis is very adamant when it comes to ingredients, locally / seasonally sourced and of the highest possible quality.  There is no mention of anything light - if I want to keep a check on the calories, I'll just have a smaller piece!  Day-Lewis pays attention to every minute detail, but not going overboard with extraordinary combinations that only high-end restaurants offer -- this book is for the home cook, who is interested in broadening their horizons and trying new ideas.  Her instructions are detailed, along with tiny comments for secrets and recommendations.

The book itself is split in various categories, including savoury and sweet, as well as tarts by other people, while a separate chapter is dedicated to the art of mastering pastry.  Each recipe is lovingly prepared from scratch and just begs to be savoured hot from the oven.  I cannot recommend this book enough, and (in case this was not obvious), I have several of Day-Lewis' cookbooks for inspiration.  She has a fixed place in my repertoire, and I always fall back on some tried and tested favourite recipes, like her Tomato, Goats' Camembert and  Herb Tart (which in my case becomes Tomato and Camembert tart):

Tomato and Camembert tart

The first thing is the base of the tart, which, in the book, is described to great detail.  On this occasion, however, I had just bought a piece of all butter puff pastry from my baker and wanted to use it, so I cheated (sorry!).

Before getting started with the filling, prepare the infused oil: again, I strayed from the original recipe (I always do) and used:

80ml olive oil
10ml chili oil (for an extra kick)
a handful each of finely chopped thyme, basil, flat leaf parsley (I don't like the other herbs she uses)
1 clove of garlic, crushed


I made this in the morning before leaving for work, and started working on the tart in the evening (although preparing it a couple of hours beforehand would suffice as well)

For the filling, I used:
1 tbsp of whole-grain mustard (I prefer this to dijon)
100gr grated cheese (I used cheddar, because that's what I had at hand)
5 medium-sized tomatoes
375gr or 1 1/2 packs of normal Camembert (I have looked for goats' camembert, but, alas, found none)

Preheat oven at 190^oC.  Slide pastry onto a 22-cm round tin, spread mustard, scatter grated cheese.  Slice tomatoes and camembert and alternate in a circle. The original recipe calls for brushing the oil over, I (being lazy, obviously) just poured the whole lot over the tart.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes, then leave to cool. 


For me, this is a great tart in the evening, when I don't want anything grand, or when I miss one meal and don't want to spoil my appetite before the next.  It's beautiful warm or cold.  One word of caution:  this is quite a heavy tart, so I would recommend smaller slices... 


This post is my entry into Weekend Cooking, a weekly event hosted by Beth Fish Reads.