Tarte Fine aux Tomatoes

 

Roll pastry out into a 30cm-diameter circle.  Roll it onto a baking tray and place in the refrigerator.

Slice tomatoes

Mix the fromage blanc, parmeasan and basil together with salt and pepper.  Spread it in the middle of the pastry circle, leaving at least 10cm at the edges, as it will melt when heated.

Preheat oven to 200;c.  Lay the tomatoe slices on top in overlapping, concentric circles until they are all used up and cover the pastry completely.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lightly drizzle with olive oil.

Bake the tart for 30 minutes then lower the heat to 150 degrees celsius and continue for 45 minutes.  This seems like a long time but you need the tomatoes to completely reduce and caramelise.

Rillettes

 

Shredded Pork Pate

Rub the pork belly well with salt and leave overnight in the fridge.

Cut pork into little strips about the size of match sticks and twice as thick.  Cut the fat up in the same way.  Crush the garlic cloves.  Preheat oven to 120c

Place pork, fat, garlic and bouquet garni in an earthenware or ovenproof dish, season with pepper and pour over a cup of water.  cover the dish and cook in oven for four hours.  The pork will now be melting and swimming in fat.

Turn the pork out into a wire sieve standing over a large bowl to catch the fat.  When drained and cooled a little, gently pull the meat apart with two forks until it is in fine shreds.  Taste for seasoning.  Place lightly in an earthenware or china bowl and pour the fat over the illettes.  Cover and refrigerate.

Cuisses de Canard aux Vinaigre de Xeres

Preheat oven to 150c.  In a frying pan, brown the duck legs on both sides.  Place in a baking dish.

Pour off some of the fat and brown the garlic and onions.  Place them in the baking dish along with the duck.

Deglaze pan with the vinegar, add salt and pepper and pour over the contents of the baking dish.

Cover and cook in the oven for one hour.

Gateau aux Noix

 

Preheat oven to 150c.  Toast the bread in the oven until dry then grind it up in a food processor.

Grease and flour cake tin and line base with baking paper.

Cream butter and 100g of sugar then add egg yolks one by one, beating in well.

Stir in lemon rind, breadcrumbs and ground walnuts.

In another bowl whip the egg whites and salt until stiff, then add the 25g of sugar and beat for another minute.

Fold the egg whites into the cake mixture and pour into the tin.

Bake for 45 mins to one hour.  If the cake browns too much, cover it.

Remove from oven and cool.