Almond Plum Tarte Tatin #FridayPieDay

This plum tart, baked upside down with caramelized sugar and slivered almonds then flipped, is perfect summer fare, for when stoned fruit is in season. Any fruit can be used in a tarte Tatin, although apples are traditional. Try it with apricots or peaches as well as plums. 

A couple of months ago my friend Heather from girlichef decided she was going to designate the last Friday of the month as Friday Pie Day and I vowed to join her. Then the last Friday in March came and went and I completely forgot. And I did have something to share in April (You are looking at it!) but other real life commitments got in the way. Despite being on the road, on my way to our younger daughter’s graduation from Rhode Island School of Design today, I just had to participate this month. Because, as Heather says, life needs more pie!

Ingredients
1 cup or 200g sugar
2 tablespoons water
8 ripe plums (about 1 lb 6.5 oz or 640g)
Good pinch salt
1/4 cup or 55g unsalted butter
8.5 oz or 240g block puff pastry
1/4 cup or 20g slivered almonds plus a little extra for sprinkling after, if desired.

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Halve the plums and remove the stones.

Put the plums in a bowl and sprinkle them with the remaining sugar and salt, mix, and leave to sit while you get on with caramelizing the sugar.

A note about the pan: I use one that goes from stovetop to oven so I can caramelize the sugar, add the butter and then add the fruit and pastry all in one. If you do not have such a pan, simply pour the caramelized sugar into a baking pan and continue as per the instructions.

In a pan, simmer half the sugar with a couple of tablespoons of water until a golden caramel has formed.

Stir in the butter.

(Here’s where you pour the sauce into a tart pan, preferably non-stick, if your stovetop pan won’t go safely into a hot oven.)

Sprinkle the almonds on the caramelized sugar.

Put the plums on top, round side down, and spread them out to cover the base of the pan.

Roll out the pastry until it is just slightly larger than your pan.

Cover the plums with the pastry, pushing it right into the sides of the pan. Cut two or three slits in the top to let the steam out. I was just messing around so I stuck a few scraps on top of the pastry but since we are turning this over to serve, they won’t even show.

Place the tart in the oven for around 25 to 35 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden brown and the syrup is bubbling up.

When the tart is baked, allow it too cool for about 10 minutes.

Put a large serving plate with sides on top of the pan and turn the tart upside down onto it. The deliciously sticky plummy syrup will come out over the pastry so a plate with sides is essential. Sprinkle on some more slivered almonds, if desired.

Serve nice slices with ice cream, thick pouring cream or a dollop of crème fraîche.

Enjoy!

FridayPieDay is the brilliant invention of Heather from girlichef.

I am pleased to start joining her on the last Friday of each month for pie and crust recipes, techniques, tools of the trade, and other inspiration.

For more information and recipes, please check out her #FRIDAYPIEDAY page!

Apple Rhubarb Strawberry Pie - Happy Pi(e) Day

Juicy apples, sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb, tossed with sugar and baked, bubble out pinkly through the flakey pie crust, saying “Slice me, eat me. Go, go get your fork!” 

I have no idea what age I was when I first learned about pi, that is to say π or the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, which turns out to be a number that starts 3.1415 and goes on forever and ever and ever in a pattern-less, never-repeating type way. We certainly never celebrated Pi Day that I can recall and, for once my memory hasn’t failed me because according to a little quick research (Thanks, Wikipedia!) Pi Day was first officially celebrated in 1988, more than two years after I had already graduated from university and had deliberately stopped thinking about math concepts in any concerted way.

This a special year to celebrate Pi Day, because today, as happens only once in each century, is 3/14/15 - at least in the US way of writing dates month first - so I am delighted to join our pi and pie loving organizer, Terri from Love and Confections and 18 fellow food bloggers to bring you 20 fabulous pies.

(P.S. If you set an alarm for 9:26:53 a.m and p.m. you can celebrate twice today to the ninth place! This may call for a cocktail!)

A note about the fruit amounts: All in all, I used a little more than two pounds or one kilo of fruit before peeling, hulling, etc. If you have less rhubarb, add more apples or strawberries. How much of each is completely flexible but I’ll give you my amounts as a guideline. Do keep in mind if you go with all rhubarb, you are probably going to need more sugar though. That stuff is pretty tart.

Ingredients
Double recipe of shortcrust pastry – from this link here or use your own favorite crust recipe for a two-crust pie.
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 apples (about 11 oz or 315g)
3 long stalks rhubarb (about 14 oz or 400g)
1/2 punnet strawberries (about 11 2/3 oz or 330g)
3/4 cup or 150g sugar plus a little extra to sprinkle on the pie before baking
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons milk

Method
Make the dough for the pastry and divide it into two balls, one slightly bigger than the other. Wrap them in cling film and put them in the refrigerator.

Peel and chop your apples and toss them in a big bowl with the lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.

Cut the brown ends off the rhubarb, if any, and cut the stalks into chunks.

Hull your strawberries and halve the big ones. Little ones can be left whole.

Pile the rhubarb and strawberries into the apple bowl and pour in the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir well.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Remove the bigger ball of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out in a circle. Fold it over your rolling pin and ease it into your 8 in or 20cm pie plate – not deep dish.

Dock it with the tip of a sharp knife or the tines of a fork.

Add in the sugared fruit and dot the top with the butter in several small pieces.

I forgot the butter in this shot, but not in the pie!

Roll out the second ball of dough in a circle and fit it on top the pie.  I am a fan of shortcrust so I trim very little of the excess and fold the rest under the edges with the bottom crust and then crimp the dough all the way around the pan. If you want to trim yours more and then just stick the bottom and top together by crimping, that works too. Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits in the top to let the steam out.

Brush the crust with the milk and sprinkle it with a little sugar.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 50-55 minutes or until the crust is golden all over and a little juice is bubbling out the slits in the top crust.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to Terri from Love and Confections for hosting this fun event! 

Twenty fabulous pies to celebrate! Come join us!  

• Apple Pear Pie with Crumble Topping from Baking and Creating with Avril
• Apple Rhubarb Strawberry Pie from Food Lust People Love
• Buffalo Chicken Shepherd's Pie from Healthy. Delicious.
• Chocolate Mousse Pie from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chocolate Silk Pie from Famished Fish, Finicky Shark
• Coconut-Pistachio Pie from The Spiffy Cookie
• Curried Lamb Potpie from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Fresh Strawberry Pie from Taste Cook Sip
• Hillbilly Apple Pie from My Catholic Kitchen
• ‎Kentucky Derby Pie from Kelli's Kitchen
• Mixed Berry Slab Pie from Making Miracles
• Peach-Blueberry Pie from The Redhead Baker
• Salted Honey Pie from girlichef
• Sicilian Ricotta Pie from Cake Duchess
• S'Mores Brownie Pie from Cheese Curd in Paradise
• Strawberry Daiquiri Pie from Love and Confections
• Thin Mint Pie from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Top Secret Derby Pie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Triple Berry Pot Pie from {I Love} My Disorganized Life
• Vegetable Pot Pie from Sew You Think You Can Cook

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Slow Cooker Beef and Guinness Stew - or Pie

When weather turns chilly, my thoughts turn to my slow cooker and a nice beefy stew with Guinness. Serve the warming bowls of deliciousness as is or top the stew with puff pastry and bake for a beautiful beef and Guinness pie. 

Whenever we are traveling and have the chance to eat a pub lunch, my husband almost invariably orders the beef and Guinness pie, if there is one on the menu. He loves the filling and the flaky puff pastry top. When decent pub grub is not available, I make my own. For stew beef to become tender, slow cooking is the way to go, so I like to use my crockpot to make the filling. After browning the meat, everything goes in the pot and I can get on with other projects like baking his favorite apple rhubarb strawberry pie. Pie for dinner and pie for dessert and he’s a happy man.

Ingredients
For the stew:
5 slices streaky smoked bacon
2 lbs or 950g braising or stew meat
1.1 lb or 500g marrow bones (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons or 15g flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large onion (about 7 oz or 200g)
1 large carrot (about 5 1/2 oz or 155g)
1 large parsnip (about 5 1/2 oz or 155g)
1 can (14 oz or 400g) chopped tomatoes with their juice
1 can (12 oz or 355 ml) Guinness stout
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

For the pie:
1 sheet puff pastry (8 oz or 230g)

Method
Cut your meat into bite-sized pieces, removing any gristle you can see.

Lay it out in a single layer on your cutting board and season it with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle it with the tablespoon and a half of plain flour and toss it around with your clean hands until well mixed.

Peel and cut the parsnip and carrot into pieces. Cover the parsnip with water in a small bowl until ready to use, to stop it from turning brown. Chop your onion roughly.

Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry until crispy in a non-stick pan. Remove the crispy bits from the rendered bacon fat and set aside.

Fry the meat in the bacon fat until browned on all sides, in two or three lots so that the pan doesn’t get crowded.

If you put too many pieces in at once, it will just steam instead of browning. As the batches get browned, remove them to a bowl.

Now you are ready to put everything in the slow cooker.

Start with the meat, then add the onion, parsnip and carrot. Top with the bacon, thyme and bay leaf. Pour the canned tomatoes in and then the can of Guinness.

Tuck the marrow bones down into the vegetables, if using.

Cook on high for three to four hours or until the beef is tender. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste.

This can be served exactly as is or it can be baked as pie topped with puff pastry.

If you cooked your stew with the optional marrow bones, these can be put under the broiler or grill in the oven to brown. They are lovely served as an appetizer with toast on which to spread the marrow.

To make the pie, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Spoon your beef and Guinness stew into a baking pan and allow it to cool a little while your oven preheats. I like to use a small pan that holds the beef and vegetables with a good amount of the broth that is created while the stew slow cooks. Then I thicken the rest of the broth with a little flour and serve it as extra gravy with the pie.

Slice the outside edges off of your puff pastry sheet and cut a few slits in the middle.

When your oven is up to temperature, cover the filled baking pan with your puff pastry. Fold the sides up so they don't hang over the edges. Press down all around the edges to seal the crust to the pan. You can use the trimmed pieces to decorate the top, if you want.

Pop it in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden.

To serve, cut a piece of the puff pastry off the top and fold it back. Scoop the stew into your bowl and top with the puff pastry.

Enjoy!

Parmesan and Brie Topped Baby Zucchini in a Semolina Crust

Zucchini is caramelized on the stovetop then added to a golden baked semolina crust and topped with Parmesan and Brie for a lovely vegetarian main course, perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner. 

Moving to a new country is all about learning.  Learning the culture, learning the language, trying to find familiar in the unfamiliar and somehow easing into it to create a life where you can be comfortable.  It means readjusting expectations and acknowledging reality, no matter how uncomfortable that may be. 

We always thought we were doing the right thing, this moving around.  First of all, the wide world is where the job was.  Secondly, what an experience for our family, our daughters!  And, I think they both get that.  But what I am not sure they get is that the moves don’t stop when they leave home.  Lately I have been getting a little push back about coming to Cairo to visit.  It seems they are prepared not to like it.  It’s not home.  Yeah, I know that.  And for them it will most likely never be home.  (Heck, I’m still working on that feeling myself!)  I know they objected to every move we made as a family.  I was not prepared for resistance to a move that didn’t technically include their having to adjust to no friends and a new school. 

What I have learned from experience is that the last place is always my favorite because of friends and familiarity and all the little attachments we take for granted when we are there.  It takes a long time for the new place to get like that.   But you have to be willing to give it a chance.  When I had elder daughter, I could never imagine loving another human person as much as I loved her sweet little self.  And then precious younger daughter came along.  And my heart stretched to more love.  I think homes are that way.  You don’t have to love just one.  You can grow to love them all.  But you have to open your mind and heart and risk the hurt of someday leaving, to revel in and relish the place where you are.  So I am working on that.

Yesterday was a holiday in my new home.  I have learned about Sham el-Nessim,  which began as an ancient rite, to celebrate new life and creation.  Nessim means "zephyr," the spring breeze, and sham means "to breathe in."  The date is set to coincide with Easter Monday on the Eastern Orthodox Church calendar, but all Egyptians take part by getting into the great outdoors to picnic on the Nile, in parks or the zoo, and apparently eat salted, fermented fish, while breathing in the Spring air.  While I love a good picnic, this holiday was about faffing about in the kitchen for me, while dear husband got on with his outdoor projects of repairing his dartboard and small barbecue table, which had been damaged in the move.  I did open the windows wide and the zephyr blew through most refreshingly.  And, in honor of Spring, some of my seedlings are sprouting!

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups or 360ml vegetable stock

 3 oz or 85g semolina

3/4 oz 20g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (if substituting dried thyme, use half that amount)

1 egg

Olive oil

For the filling:

1 1/2 lbs or 680g baby zucchini (if substituting bigger zucchini, cut out the soft, fluffy inside part where the seeds are)

Sea salt

Black pepper

3/4 oz 20g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

4 1/4 oz or 120g Brie or other soft full fat cheese

1/4 cup or 20g breadcrumbs

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Place the stock in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.  Add the semolina in a steady trickle, stirring continuously.  Keep stirring for three to four minutes until the mixture is thick and fairly solid.  Set aside and leave to cool slightly.

Add the thyme, egg and half of all the Parmesan cheese to the semolina mixture.  This will require a few minutes of turning and pressing with the back of your stirring spoon to incorporate.  Just keep on mixing till it’s smooth again. 

That is a whole egg.  You just can't see the white.

Oil a normal pie plate with a drizzle of olive oil.  Spread your semolina dough on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Wet your hands slightly to stop the dough from sticking to you.  Drizzle on a little more olive oil and spread it around gently with a pastry brush.

Pop this in the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until you have some browning around the edges.

Meanwhile, wash your zucchini, cut the tops and tails off and cut them lengthwise into quarters and slice your garlic.

Heat a non-stick skillet up on the stove and when it is roasting hot, dump all the zucchini into the pan.  No oil yet!

Cook on high, stirring or tossing frequently, until the zucchini get lots of nice brown bits all over, which takes about 5-8 minutes.  

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then add in the garlic.  Turn the heat down to medium.

Give the whole thing a liberal dose of olive oil and toss or stir the zucchini and garlic around in the pan for another minute or two.  Turn the fire off.

Chop your Brie or other melty cheese into little pieces.  Take off the outside rind if you want to.  Mine was hard and dried in a couple of places, so I removed that and left the rest. 

Add the breadcrumbs which will help the Brie pieces stop sticking all together. With your hands, gently mix the Brie with the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs.

When your pie crust is done, take it out of the oven, but leave the oven on.  Tip the zucchini and garlic into the crust and then try to arrange them somewhat neatly. 

Cover the top with your cheese and breadcrumb mixture and pop the pie back in the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and it is lightly browned.

Here’s where my husband wanders in, his projects finished, and says “Whatcha cooking?”  And when I answer "baby zucchini baked with Brie," his eyes light up and I laugh out loud with the man who loves my cooking.  And dotes on his daughters.  I know they will come around to see why visiting Cairo is a good idea.  Because we are here and we are trying to make it a home.  Just doing our best with open hearts. And, at least yesterday, open windows. 

Enjoy!