Easy French Brown-Butter Tart

Easy French Brown-Butter Tart

by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

Easy French Brown-Butter Tart

Easy French Brown-Butter Tart

For bakers and home cooks who bake often, making tarts is easy enough. However, not everyone, including me, appreciates the specific measuring and techniques required for good tart dough. Now, after discovering this easy brown-butter tart, I’m dreaming of future tarts.

The dough is similar to a pâte sablée (“sandy” dough). It’s tender and crumbly like shortbread, holds its shape well and has a delicate brown-butter flavor. So, while it won’t replace all varieties of tart options, it can substitute for many sweet and savory versions.

I discovered this recipe while reading a post by David Lebovitz who wrote that upon hearing about this:

”I almost started choking. “Surely, you jest!” I wanted to cry out in disbelief”…”It was all just crazy-talk.”

The source, Paule Caillet of Promenades Gourmandes, is a culinary instructor I know through her Paris market tour cooking classes. The recipe works well, but after multiple tests, I made a couple minor ingredient revisions and heated the butter mixture on a cooktop rather than in the oven.

Brown-Butter tart

Brown-Butter Tart Recipe

Serves 8

Adapted from a recipe by Paule Caillat of Promenades Gourmandes

Ingredients:
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3 ounces or 85g) cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon flavorless cooking oil such as grapeseed or organic canola
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (5 ounces or about 142g)
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt (about 3 pinches)
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour (5.5 ounces or 156g)
Steps:
  1. Butter a 9” (23cm) tart pan (removable bottom is best) and turn oven to 400˚F (204˚C).
  2. Add butter, oil, sugar and salt to a 6-8” pot or rounded sauce pan and turn heat to medium heat.
  3. Foam and bubbles will begin to form as the water evaporates from the butter. When butter is melted (about 3 minutes) briefly stir to mix ingredients and let cook for 4-6 minutes more or until you see a tan color form in the center or around the edges. At this point remove from the heat as this tan color can quickly overcook to a dark brown (a Beurre noir) sauce.
  4. Remove the pot from the burner, add the flour and stir with a soup spoon (works best) or spoonula until the dough begins to pull away from the sides and stick together. Place the dough into the center of the tart pan and spread it across the base with the back of the spoon.
  5. When the dough is still warm but cool enough to touch, press it with your fingers spreading it evenly across the base (it will be thin) and up the sides.
  6. With a fork, prick around the dough base about twenty times, then bake on the center rack for 8-10 minutes or until the tart dough is golden brown. Once the tart is cool, fill to your delight.
  • If you use a dark pot it will be hard to see when the butter is the proper color.
  • Whole wheat substitutions will not yield the same flavor or texture.
  • European butters or Kerry Gold Irish butter for example, have lower water content than most commercial American butters. This may increase the evaporation time a bit during browning and may cause the mixture to “spit” or “pop” hot liquid a bit. Swirl the pan once or twice if this happens to reduce “spitting”.
  • The tart base can be prepared a day in advance
  • Use as a savory tart base as well but leaving out the sugar. Sugar does affect dough structure, so it will not be the exact same tart base, but it will work.

The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts, All of a summer day: The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts And took them quite away!

1865  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

    About Me

    The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
    Michele Redmond

    Michele Redmond

    French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

    It's about Making Food First

    Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

    Swiss Chard Hazelnut Dessert Tart |Tarte Sucrée Aux Blettes et Noisettes

    Swiss Chard Hazelnut Dessert Tart |Tarte Sucrée Aux Blettes et Noisettes

    by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

    Swiss Chard Hazelnut Dessert Tart |Tarte Sucrée Aux Blettes et Noisettes

    Swiss Chard hazelnut dessert tart

    Swiss Chard Hazelnut Dessert Tart

     

    Really. It’s not so bizarre to use vegetables in dessert. Consider zucchini bread and carrot cake. Other popular recipes include red velvet beet cake, sweet potato pudding and avocado chocolate mousse. Dessert tarts made with Swiss chard have long been popular in the South of France. In Nice, where I first discovered this dessert tart, it’s part of the culture, and it’s delicious.

    Swiss chard is an abundant crop in Southern France which makes dessert a clever way to use up excess chard. One thing is for certain, this tart was not created just to make the dessert more nutrient dense or higher fiber–this is not the French way of eating. I discovered this tart from parents of a chef friend who invited me to dinner at their home near Falicon, North of Nice.

    Why is this tart delicious?

    The French approach to this dessert balances the sweet with the delicate tang of chard and bright citrus notes. The quick and easy light custard contrasts with crunchy, toasted hazelnuts and a low-sugar, brown-butter crust (the easiest “French” crust ever).

    Why make this sweet tart with greens?

    • It’s surprisingly delicious and unique
    • It’s stealth nutrition (adds fiber and potassium)
    • It holds well for a 2-3 days
    • You’ve wondered what else to do with chard
    • Experience some history–the tart has Medieval origins

     

    Swiss Chard Hazelnut Dessert Tart Recipe

    Serves 8

    Filling Ingredients:
    • ¾ pound of whole fresh Swiss chard leaf stalks (about 3.5 ounces with stems removed)
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 egg yolk from a large egg
    • 1 ¼ cup whole milk
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest (about half a large orange)
    • ½ cup of whole toasted skinless hazelnuts, chopped
    • 1-2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar
    Tart Dough:

    You can use a favorite tart recipe or pre-made tart dough that works for a 9-inch tart pan or use the following easiest, quickest, “non-French” tart recipe I’ve ever made.

    Swiss Chard Steps:
    1. Prepare to blanch the chard; however, if all the leaves are small, young, thin and supple, you could skip this step (see culinary nutrition notes below). Put a large pot of water (about 2½ quarts or enough to cover the chard leaves) over medium heat. Have a colander nearby and some cold water available.
    2. Rinse the Swiss chard, remove the stems—cutting with a knife is preferred over hand tearing the leaves, since this can leave you with bits and pieces that are a bother if you blanch the chard. When the water is simmering (not boiling), add the leaves all at once. Press the leaves into the water to cover then remove after 45 seconds depending on when the leaves become soft and pliable (too much heat dulls the color.) Thick, dense chard leaves will take more time.
    3. Pour the chard into the colander and rinse with cold water or pour cold water over and around the leaves to stop further color loss. When cool enough to touch, squeeze out the excess water with your hands then chop.

     

    Custard Steps: Turn oven to 400˚F (204˚C)
    1. For the hazelnuts, lightly toast them and remove the skins if you purchased whole, raw nuts. Chop the nuts into roughly ¼ inch bits (I scoop up the nuts and shake out the smaller bits and “nut dust” between my fingers.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, yolk, milk, vanilla and zest. Stir in the chopped Swiss Chard.
    3. Pour mixture into the tart pan of the pre-cooked dough and place on the middle rack. Sprinkle the hazelnuts evenly across the top and lightly press them into the custard. Bake 30-34 minutes or until custard looks set—test with a toothpick inserted into the custard for a clean removal.
    4. Serve slightly chilled, and just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
    • Young, supple or pliable fresh Swiss chard leaves could be used without the blanching step by cutting the chard chiffonade style (removing the stem, layering the leaves, rolling them up into a cylinder shape and cutting the leaves into thin strips). Cut the thin strips in half lengthwise to make smaller pieces. Place these in a bowl and let them sit for at least 30 minutes or until they soften further. As long as they feel soft and supple, they will work well in the tart.
    • Most often veggies are blanched (simmering water for 30 seconds or more) in salted water to improve the flavor; however, I don’t find it benefits this dessert.
    • Swiss Chard has some naturally salt-seasoning—this amount has about 200 mg of sodium for the entire recipe which is a low level of sodium.
    This dish is rich in culture and historical origins so despite making changes to simplify this dessert, I want to honor the traditional ingredients and techniques by mentioning them:
    • Pine nuts are traditional, but sometimes fresh (non-oxidized/non-rancid) pine nuts are hard to find, instead I use hazelnuts which add an attractive crunch and flavor.
    • Lemon zest: I substituted with orange zest because Swiss chard adds tang and orange pairs well with it.
    • A Tourte: Tourtes have a dough topping and are more common with this dessert, but I prefer tarts they are easier and faster to and without a top crust, it’s less dense and lower calorie.
    • Alcohol: Brandy, eau de vie or pastis are used, instead I added pure vanilla extract as a more common flavor agent.
    • Other traditional ingredients: raisins, pears, Parmesan are also often included.
    Swiss chard leaf stalk stack
    “The cultural identity of Nice is grounded in Swiss Chard, I am not at all exaggerating”

    “L’identité culturelle niçoise s’est forgée dans la blette, je n’exagère rien”

    Blog post quote by

    Camille Oger

      About Me

      The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
      Michele Redmond

      Michele Redmond

      French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

      It's about Making Food First

      Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

      Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Sumac

      Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Sumac

      by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

      Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Sumac

      Roasted cauliflower with sumac

      Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Sumac

      Pan-seared cauliflower steaks work great, yet often require finishing in the oven. This cauliflower steak with sumac option shortcuts the pan-searing for a longer, but less fussy, roast in the oven.

      While these “C-steaks” may not satisfy a meat eater as a substitute, they will satisfy their appetite and offer meaty texture characteristics. The main stem of these veggie steaks offers a satisfying dense texture that contrasts with the crunchy outer florets and buttery softness of the smaller stems. So whether your diet is veg only or omni, cauliflower steaks can satisfy as a side or as a main dish when paired with complementary foods (see serving notes below).

      Sumac is from dried and ground sumac berries. It’s a unique flavor, but you can use a combination of lemon juice and zest to mimic sumac’s lemon notes (see taste notes below) or use any seasoning or spice mix you prefer. Think about balancing cauliflowers sweet notes with something that offers a hint of sour and/or spicy heat.

      Roasted cauliflower without sumac

      Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Sumac

      Ingredients

      • 1 large cauliflower (2½-3 pounds)
      • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
      • Few pinches of fine sea salt (about ⅛ teaspoon)
      • 1 teaspoon ground sumac (optional but adds a soft tart or lemon flavor note)
      • A pinch of cayenne (about ¼ of an ⅛ teaspoon)

      Steps:

      1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack to be on the lowest level.
      2. Pull off the outer leaves of the cauliflower but do not cut out the core of the cauliflower. Trim the stem a bit if this helps stabilize the base of the cauliflower flat against a cutting board.
      3. With a chef’s knife, slice the cauliflower from top to base in one nice cut (avoid see-sawing the blade back and forth to keep florets from breaking off the stems). Depending on the size of the head, you may be able to cut 3-4 steaks sized at ¾ inch-thick “steaks” from the main stem and larger branches. As you cut, some florets will fall off which you can also roast or keep for another use.
      4. Place the cauliflower on the baking sheet, drizzle both sides or each steak with the olive oil and then season with salt. If you prefer to use less oil, brush oil onto steaks with a pastry brush.
      5. Place the baking sheet on the bottom rack and cook until cauliflower is browned (about 12 minutes).
      6. Remove from the oven and, with a spatula, gently turn the steaks over. Sprinkle the sumac onto the steaks—the side facing up.
      7. Place back on the bottom rack to finish cooking (about 10-12 minutes) or until browned on both sides and stems feel tender—the thicker branches should yield to a knife when pierced.
      8. Serve warm or room temperature.

      Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Sumac

      • Cauliflower is a high satiety food with good fiber content, high protein content and low calorie values (107 calories for 4 cups chopped).
      • Glucosinolates and isothiocyanates phytochemicals and antioxidants found in cauliflower may be beneficial for inflammation-related health problems and play a role in its particular aroma and flavor.
      • Sumac adds bright red-purple colors and subtle hints of lemon or tang. It’s a great spice option for many dishes when lemons aren’t available or lemon juice isn’t the best form for delivering this taste and flavor element. Plus, lemons can add bitter notes.
      • Serve as a base for cooked grains or seeds such as quinoa
      • Top the steaks with a warm cannellini bean salad
      • Serve with salmon, chicken or fish
      • Serve without the sumac and instead a sauce like garlic walnut and herb sauce
      Roasted cauliflower

      “Cauliflower is nothing but Cabbage with a College Education”

      Mark Twain

        About Me

        The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
        Michele Redmond

        Michele Redmond

        French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

        It's about Making Food First

        Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

        Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin

        Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin

        by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

        Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin

        Boursin-yogurt-artichoke-gratin

        Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin

        French and American gratins, pronounced “Grawh-tAHn”, range from dense, cheesy and cream-laden to light dishes made simply with a béchamel sauce.This artichoke gratin, satisfyingly filling yet not overly cheesy works well as a dip or topping for a tartine (open-faced sandwich).

        The French cheeses used, Boursin and Gruyère, are commonly available in U.S. grocery stores. The unusual gratin ingredient is the Greek yogurt as a complementary creamy element. It also adds a hint of acidity that balances the sweetness of the artichoke hearts.

        Yogurt is a source of B-6 and B-12 vitamins, vitamin D, potassium but Greek yogurt offers more protein, a more diverse probiotic profile and is thicker and creamier than most regular yogurt.

        Boursin and Yogurt Artichoke Gratin

        10-12 servings as an appetizer

        Ingredients

        • 4 ounces of low-fat cream cheese, softened
        • 5.2 ounces (150 grams) herbed boursin cheese, softened (see substitutes below)
        • 1 cup low-fat Greek plain yogurt
        • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne (too much cayenne can mute the herb flavors)
        • 4 ounces gruyère (about 1 ⅓  cups shredded), divided (see substitutes below)
        • 2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained

        Steps

        1. Preheat oven to 400°F and adjust a rack to the middle position.
        2. Place the cream and boursin cheese in a mixing bowl to let them warm up a bit. Shred the gruyère and add to the bowl.
        3. Drain the artichokes. Squeeze by hand the liquid from the artichokes. Doing this twice works best.
        4. Once the cheeses are soft enough to mix together with a large spoon, add the yogurt, cayenne, 1 cup of the gruyère (the rest is for a topping) and add the artichokes (break these up between your hands as you add them to the bowl).
        5. Mix all ingredients and spread mixture in an 8×8” baking dish or gratin dish. Sprinkle on the remaining gruyère and place in oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbling. Turn on the broiler for 2-3 minutes to create a lovely, cheesy crust. Serve hot or warm (see serving ideas below).

        Substitution and taste notes options:

        • Salt: This is not a missing ingredient! There is salt because the ingredients have enough added sodium to enhance flavors and balance the taste profile.
        • Yogurt: Greek yogurt adds tang and a thicker texture than typical yogurt. Often artichoke gratins or dips use lemon juice or zest for a fresh tang, but Greek yogurt does double duty.
        • Boursin: This soft cow-milk French cheese is often made with parsley, chives, white pepper and garlic. Or add these ingredients to a soft-style goat cheese.
        • Gruyère: A cow-milk cheese that melts well with nutty flavors. Can be replaced by other cheeses that melt well like fontina and have mild flavors. Strong flavored-cheese like cheddar overwhelm the artichoke and herb notes.

        Love cheese? Here’s a few notes on enjoying cheese & French cheese passion:

        • Top with some Panko or fresh bread crumbs that have been lightly softened with some butter or olive oil for a crunchy bread topping
        • Serve as a dip with crackers, crostini or use as a topping for a sandwich tartine
        • Toss in 3/4 cup of cooked spinach that has been well squeezed to remove any juices but add just a bit more cheese and yogurt to maintain the gratin texture
        Boursin-yogurt-artichoke-gratin-on-table
        “Tout le gratin sera là!” = “Everybody who’s anybody will be there!”

        Laura K Lawless French language expert

          About Me

          The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
          Michele Redmond

          Michele Redmond

          French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

          It's about Making Food First

          Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

          Parsnip Puree Soup and Crisps

          Parsnip Puree Soup and Crisps

          by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

          Parsnip Puree Soup and Crisps

          Parsnip puree soup | thetasteworkshop.com

          Parsnip Puree Soup with Crisps

          You’re so sweet, you’re so fine, but a sugar bomb in wintertime. Okay, the song doesn’t go this way but, in winter, cold converts parsnip starches to sugar at high levels and if the parsnips freeze before harvest, they become even sweeter.

          This sweet taste quality can make parsnips particularly popular with kids. However, for some adults, parsnips can taste too sweet unless savory or piquant, spicy ingredients are added. Another option, since parsnips are available year round, is to try them outside of the winter holidays as with this recipe which is using Spring parsnips.

          This pureed soup relies simply on parsnips plus onion and garlic as the aromatic ingredients. Salt balances the sweet and enhances parsnip’s nutty flavor qualities. So feel creative with adding any contrasting or complementary flavors.

          This recipe is also in honor of National Nutrition Month and its compelling theme of “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right”.

          Serves 4-6 (makes 5½-6 cups)

          Ingredients

          • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
          • 1 medium (7-8 ounces) yellow onion, roughly chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
          • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
          • 4 medium parsnips (about 2¼ pounds), peeled, chopped into ½ to 1-inch sized pieces (to make some crisps, reserve a 3” segment from a middle or end piece of a parsnip)
          • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
          • 4 cups water (stock can substitute, but see the tasting notes)

          Optional: Garnishes and spices—serving option notes

          Puree Steps

          1. Over medium heat, warm the oil, then add the onions, garlic and salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
          2. Add 4 cups of water to the pot, and while it is heating, peel and chop the parsnips (except leave a segment if making chips) then add to the water. Cook the parsnips at a rapid simmer for about 20 minutes or until the parsnips are butter soft.
          3. Blend directly in the pot with an emulsion blender or blend in a counter-top blender.

           

          Parsnip Crisp Steps

          1. Use a knife or a mandolin to create very thin (less than 1/8 inch) potato chip slices.
          2. To a medium-sized pot, add enough cooking oil (see notes) to have ½” of oil. Heat over medium-high heat until you see the oil begin to ripple (see notes), then add enough slices to nearly cover the surface of the oil, but not so the slices overlap.
          3. These will cook fast, so be close by with a slotted spoon to pull them out as they start to brown and place them on a paper towel to cool.
          • Smoke point temperatures: for frying, select a cooking oil with a high smoke point. Examples include refined (not cold pressed) organic canola oil, grape seed oil or vegetable oil.
          • Smoke point signs: What’s your oil telling you? To avoid having a hot oil smoke, for health and taste reasons, catch the oil just before it smokes. Look for signs on the surface such as ripples, dimpling or waving activities.
          • Stock versus water: Not all soups require vegetable or animal-based stocks. In fact, these can create distracting new flavors for vegetables, particularly ones with delicate flavor profiles. To make this parsnip soup more savory, chicken stock would work. Vegetable stock can also work but some vegetable stocks have too much carrot or other sweet flavors that don’t do parsnips any favors.
          • Serve with a few crispy pan-fried parsnip chips layered on top
          • Sprinkle on some smoked paprika and /or Aleppo chili flakes to balance the sweet notes
          • Drizzle on some flavorful Garlic Walnut Green sauce
          Parsnip puree soup | thetasteworkshop.com

          “For…we can make liquor to sweeten our lips of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips.”   American Colonist around 1630, a poem excerpt Ancestors in aprons 

            About Me

            The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
            National Nutrition Month

            National Nutrition Month 2016

            Let’s Connect

            Michele Redmond

            Michele Redmond

            French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

            It's about Making Food First

            Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

            Purse Crêpes (Aumônières de Crêpes)

            Purse Crêpes (Aumônières de Crêpes)

            by | Health and Food Culture, Le Blog

            Purse Crêpes (Aumônières de Crêpes)

            Beggar’s Purse Crêpes Aumônières

            Purse Crêpes

            Purse Crêpes (sometimes called a Beggar’s purse) are an ironic description for a crêpe-based dish given that these elegant, plump flavor packages allow for an extra cha-ching to that restaurant bill. For the home cooks, this food bling bling upgrades your status as a chef de maison and offers fun ways to showcase what is truly a “fast-slow food”. Purse crêpes are versatile and can be stuffed with savory or sweet ingredients.

            Crêpe batter is easy to prepare (5 ingredients in 5 minutes)

            After learning a couple simple tricks, crêpes are easy to make—see my take on crêpes.

            Aumônières de Crêpes

            My chefs in Paris had me adding some chopped chervil into the batter and calling the recipe Crêpes Celestine without any mention of the “purse” food styling. Celestine refers to in the style of and often includes green, leafy herbs. Typically the French version is called aumônières de crêpes where aumônière means purse in French.

            The tasty morsel above is from Amarosa vineyard and restaurant in Tuscany, Italy. The herbed version below I made in Paris where the chefs had us stuffing them with a creamy scallop filling.

            Beggar’s Purse Crêpes Aumônières

             “extravagant, flashy—bling on a plate. .  . No matter their price, the purses were always hot sellers”

            Cuisinesolutions.com

              About Me

              The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
              Michele Redmond

              Michele Redmond

              French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

              It's about Making Food First

              Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

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