Nids de tartiflette

Serves 6 as a side dish or starter
Preparation time: 30 mins
Baking time 15 - 20 mins

1 tbsp soft butter
500g waxy potatoes (e.g. Maris Peer or Charlotte)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
200g lardons or cubes of smoked bacon
100ml dry white wine
250g Reblochon cheese, cubed

1. Pregeat the oven to 180c and brush a 6 hole muffin tin with the soft butter. Peel the potatoes and use the julienne blade on a mandoline to make thin matchsticks.

2. Put the onion, garlic, bay leaf and lardons into a large non stick frying pan and cook until the lardons are golden. Add the wine and reduce until only a couple of tablespoons of liquid remain. Stir in the potato and take off the heat, then remove the bay leaf and stir in the cheese.

3. Divide the potato mix between the 6 hole of the muffin tin and bake for 15-20 mins or until golden and bubbling.

(Rachel Khoo - The Little Paris Kitchen)

Quick cheese straws

Serves 8
Preparation and cooking times
Prep 5 mins

Cook 12 mins
 
350g pack ready-rolled puff pastry
four handfuls grated Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)
handful flour , to roll pastry on

1.heat oven to 220c/fan 200c/gas 7. Unroll a puff pastry, scatter over a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan, then fold in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut into 1cm strips, then twist the strips 3-4 times. Lay on a baking sheet, scatter over more cheese and bake for 12 mins, or until golden. Leave to cool, then keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. As these cheese straws are very delicate, roll them in kitchen paper before packing into a plastic container.

Nutritional per serving:
75 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 7g, fat 5 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 0g, salt 0.18 g

GoodFood Magazine August 2006

Sausage roll’s big night out

1 x 375g/13oz packet ready-made puff pastry
flour, for dusting
6 thin salami sticks, cut in half
1 egg, lightly beaten

1.Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

2.Cut the pastry in half. Roll half of it out on a lightly floured work surface into a 42cm x 9cm/16in x 3½in rectangle. Neaten the edges with a sharp knife.

3.Lay the pastryo out widthways and arrange the salami pieces on the left-hand side of the pastry, about 4cm/1½in apart. Brush the beaten egg around each piece of salami. Fold the pastry in half and press firmly around each piece of salami. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is cold and firm.

4.Repeat with the remaining pastry and salami.

5.Remove the pastry from fridge and, with the salami pieces horizontal, cut in to 1cm/½in thick slices and arrange on a baking tray.

6.Brush the pastry with the remaining beaten egg. Reduce the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and bake the sausage rolls for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is well risen and golden-brown.

(Loraine Pascale 'Home Cooking Made Easy' BBC TV)