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Mamma Mia Ciasa Mia! Could this be the best pasta in Paris?

I know I know, it’s a big call, but trust me — I take these statements very seriously. After my first meal at Ciasa Mia, I got home, and in an unprecedented event, I could not sleep. And not because I ate too much either. I simply could not stop thinking about the incredible meal I had just experienced, and found myself lying awake dreaming about that amazing PASTA like some intoxicating whirlwind holiday romance.

The stuff dreams are made of. Ciasa Mia’s Kamut Spaghetti with Mussels, Girolles and Smoked White Pepper with Pecorino.

Ciasa Mia potato and rosemary ravioli with speck

Potato, speck and rosemary ravioli filled with cèpes and mageret de canard fumé

The discovery wasn’t all mine, so I do admit I was tipped off. When you hear your Italian friend’s voice rise two decibels excitedly describing food with dangerous hand motions and enough passion to scare the French diners at the table next to us, I knew I had to check this place out. And yes I’ve been back multiple times since, just to make sure I wasn’t kidding myself the first time, but the food at this place never ceases to amaze and delight me.

For someone with a terrible memory, I can still remember and describe in intricate detail, every course I have eaten there: Truffle-filled egg yolk amuse bouche, pine infused ice cream, cèpe and white truffle carpaccio with parmesan soufflé, scallops in hay-steamed smoke, pastas that are delicious enough to overcome the strongest of carb-nazi willpower, deconstructed tiramisu, melt in your mouth house-made focaccia, and not to forget the famous “colours d’automne”- a dessert experience you absolutely must save space for. The flavours, the products, the seasons, the passion for quality, innovation and creativity with respect for tradition and romance, the flamboyant service with flair and precision… the passion the food is made with here paired with the warm friendly ambience of a family–run Italian alps ski chalet is so cosy you could just crawl up by the fire with your limoncello, satisfied belly and just dream away.

Who would have thought this little gem on a tiny street just next to the pantheon was hiding there? If you didn’t know to look past the cutesy quasi-kitsch restaurant signage and lace curtains on the facade, you could easily miss it. And if you can’t get there in person, don’t worry. In my usual form, I shamelessly went back and asked the chef for the recipe so we can all enjoy the pleasure of THAT PASTA (scroll down for recipe).

Where was the best pasta you have ever eaten? My runners-up for Paris are Procopio Angelo and Bocca. Drop a comment below to share your favorite addresses in Paris and beyond.

Ciasa Mia Restaurant is located near the Pantheon in Paris’ Latin Quarter at
19 Rue Laplace 75005
Ph: +33(0)1 43 29 19 77
www.ciasamia.com

See a video review by Francois Simon here

La lotte en croute de peau de poulet (monkfish in chicken skin crust) with balsamic lentils, rosemary potato and vanilla eschalotte

Wine selection at Ciasa Mia

Lemon brûlée with almond praline- amazing!

Six minute scallops- steamed in hay smoke with sea salt. Black truffle jus-injected egg yolk. explosions of flavor- literally.

The delightful deconstructed tiramisu

Pine infused ice cream – unforgettable.

Chef Samuel Mocci with Italian white truffles

Organic kamut spaghetti with mussels, girolles, pecorino, and smoked white pepper

Recipe by Samuel Mocci from Ciasa Mia Restaurant, Paris

Serves 4 people

This recipe cooks the pasta using the absorption method, like you would a risotto. It soaks up all the flavor from the stock and self-sauces once you add the cheese and remaining ingredients.

Ingredients:

300 grams kamut spaghetti (or substitute with a similar fresh pasta of your choice)
1 litre of unsalted chicken stock
30 grams sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 knob butter
50g pecorino finely grated
50g parmesan finely grated
Freshly ground smoked white pepper (if you can’t find smoked pepper you can use smoked sea salt to add the smoky flavour)
200 g mussels (weight without shells)
200 g girolle mushrooms (you could substitute for cepes or chanterelles also)
2 cloves garlic- finely diced
2 tbsp finely diced flat leaf parsley

Preparing the Ciasa Mia Kamut Spaghetti Recipe

Directions:

Bring the chicken stock to boil in a large pot with olive oil, butter and sea salt.

To cook the mussels: In a separate pot, place mussels in their shells with white wine, olive oil and finely diced garlic and parsley. Once the mussels open, remove the mussels from their shells (leave a few in the shell for presentation purposes). Leave in pot and set aside. Thoroughly rinse and then pat dry the girolles with paper towel. Dice the mushrooms finely and set aside.

Once the water is boiling add the spaghetti to the pot and gently stir the pasta and water until all the water has been absorbed by the pasta, being careful not to let the pasta stick together or to the pot. Check that the pasta is cooked just to al dente. If it is still too firm, add more stock and cook further until it’s absorbed (as you would a risotto)

Once the spaghetti is cooked, remove from the flame and add the parmesan, pecorino and a generous portion of freshly ground pepper. Mix through well- you will see that the remaining moisture in the pasta mixes with the cheeses to ‘self-sauce’

Sprinkle the diced girolle mushrooms on the base of the serving plate and then season with quality virgin olive oil. Serve the pasta into portions over the mushrooms and then add the mussels, with a few still in the shell over the pasta. Serve with extra grated pecorino and diced parsley to garnish if desired.

Tags: best pasta paris, Ciasa Mia Paris, food trends, Italian food, paris restaurants, pasta, pasta recipe

Comments 11 Comments
Categories France Culture, Gastronomy, Italian Food, Paris, Restaurants, Reviews

Sepia Sydney: A sublime performance of senses and recipe by Martin Benn

4 Feb

Have you ever caught yourself starring unabashedly at someone you just met who was so strikingly beautiful, you were almost searching to find a single, reassuringly human sign of imperfection? Well that is kind of how I would describe my recent meal at Sepia.

Sepia Degustation: A sublime perfomance of senses

Being temporarily at home in Sydney, I have escaped the cold of Paris, minus 8 degree baguette queues and icy streets, happily swapping it for a bit of R&R with family and friends, and of course, a big list of new Australian restaurants to check out.

Whilst living in one of the gastronomic capitals of the world for the last 2 years, I have always maintained that Australia boasts some of the best food and finest restaurants in the world. Coming home with a more refined palette, a taste for boundary-pushing creativity and a love of French cuisine, I had high expectations from the talent in my hometown, and I was so happy to not be disappointed – in fact, I am proud to say that out of all the incredible meals I have eaten in Michelin star restaurants and home kitchens across France, my meal at Sepia Sydney was totally up there on the “unforgettable meals” list. Sepia is a 3-hatted restaurant. I’m not sure why the Michelin star system never reached Australian shores but to be honest I don’t think it matters, since in Paris for example, a lot of the best emerging chefs are not on the Michelin system by choice, and are producing by far some of the best food.

My dining companion and I were subject to what I could only describe as a beautifully executed performance of senses during the 4 course degustation menu. We ordered opposite dishes and shared everything. Normally there is at least one dish that lets the team down. We didn’t find one. And the service was so good the staff were practically psychic. The wine list was an absolute field day, and matched so well to each dish that flavours and senses were elevated on a whole other level. “Would you like a sneaky top up, an extra course snuck in there for good measure, and perhaps a seat that’s more suited to your petite stature?” Hell yes. God I love the service in this country. Sorry Paris, but no matter how damn good, sexy and elegant your food and restaurants are, the service only rarely meets up to the standards of us friendly Aussies. Ok maybe I’m bias, maybe it’s a cultural or language thing …

Tuna and jamon iberica sashimi

“Scallop sushi” Nori rolled scallop, pickled ginger, puffed sushi rice, avocado cream

Panfried kingfish, shellfish custard, New Zealand scampi, Kombu,

Char grilled miso beef tenderloin, nameko mushroom, braised barley, smoked bone marrow miso mustard, white Barletta onions, garlic chips

Queensland spanner crab and buckwheat risotto, mustard butter, shellfish essence

Roasted corn fed chicken breast, WA Marron tail, chestnut mushroom, dashi onion cream leek, wild rocket, puffed quinoa, nori salt sepia sydney

Thrown in for good measure: Roasted corn fed chicken breast, WA Marron tail, chestnut mushroom, dashi onion cream leek, wild rocket, puffed quinoa, nori salt

Gin, cucumber watermelon pre dessert

Deconstructed Cheesecake: Goats milk fromage blanc and crème fraiche cheese cake, black sesame crumb, fresh strawberries geranium ice cream, caramel and shiso jellies

Goat milk fromage blanc and crème fraiche cheese cake, black sesame crumb, fresh strawberries geranium ice cream, caramel and shiso jellies

The famous black forest dessert (and yes it's as incredible as it looks): “Summer Chocolate forest” Soft chocolate, chestnut, lavender cream, sour cherry sorbet, blackberry candy green tea, licorice, chocolate twigs, berries, crystallised fennel fronds

Sepia Signature Dish: Japanese stones.

Here’s an awesome video on how the stones are made:

Sepia Restaurant and Wine Bar: Japanese Stones from Trixie Barretto on Vimeo.

So, I’ve always maintained that I am not a food/ restaurant critic/reviewer. I write about the experience of food, the love of food, food as story, culture and passion. I always want to bring the experience to my readers. That’s why I unashamedly asked Martin Benn if he would be kind enough to share a recipe. Luckily, he willingly obliged. Not only is Martin Benn extremely talented, he’s also a super nice guy.

An English native, Martin picked up French techniques under Micheal Lorrain then worked with Marco Pierre White after which he became the head chef of Tetsuya’s – at the age of just 25. Sepia is the result of all those good things fused together- French technique, Japanese style, Nordic influence, matched with a supply of the best seafood in Sydney thanks to a partnership with Decosti’s seafood. On the subject of seafood, we’ve chosen the bonito sashimi with green apple and sheep yoghurt, sake and chive oil, as the feature recipe, as not only is it delicious but it’s also one of the few things easily executable at home, and something you can substitute the fish for depending on seasonality.

I am convinced Bonito is the next big thing. It’s tuna’s hot little sister. It’s mackerel’s sexier cousin. It’s amazing how much food supply and demand, not to mention market prices is based on food trends and what’s fashionable right now. I have seen Bonito springing up on menus across Paris – this fish is rapidly gaining popularity given the demise of tuna, boredom of salmon and perception of mackerel. Even Martin Benn admitted that shortly after featuring it on the menu at Sepia, the retail price had doubled overnight from $9 to $18 per kilo. Make the most of it now, before it meets the same fate as redfin tuna…

This recipe takes a bit of time and preparation but is well worth the effort. You can use any sashimi-grade fish for this great summer recipe supplied courtesy of Martin Benn.

Pickled summer bonito, green apple and sheep yoghurt, sake and chive oil, rosa radish, daikon, Tasmanian wasabi (Recipe below)

Recipe: Pickled summer bonito, green apple and sheep yoghurt, sake and chive oil, radish, daikon and wasabi. By Martin Benn, Sepia Sydney

Serves 8

1 x Spring Bonito, filleted (700g to 900g whole weight fish)
500ml rice wine vinegar seasoned
140g caster sugar
10g sea salt
1000ml mineral water
1 tsp wasabi paste
½ daikon radish
100ml sake and chive oil (see below)
400g green apple and sheep yoghurt cream (see below)

For the pickled Bonito:
Cut the bonito fillet down each side of the centre bone.
This will produce two long strips, repeat this with the other fillet, discard the bones.
Place the 4 strip fillets into a deep tray and set aside.
Mix the vinegar, sugar and sea salt together until all the sugar has dissolved.
Add in the water to the vinegar and mix well.
Pour the pickling liquor over the fillets make sure that they are well covered.
Leave to marinate for 6 minutes and then turn the fillets over and continue to marinate for a further 6 minutes.
Remove from the picking liquor and pat dry with paper towel.
Remove the skin from each quarter fillet then cut the fillets in half length ways.
Leave on a tray with paper towel until required.

For the wasabi:
Add to a little light olive oil to loosen the wasabi paste then brush over the marinate bonito.

For the daikon radish:
Peel the radish and then using a mandolin thinly slice.
Place the strips on top of each other and using a knife cut into a julienne (thin strips) keeping them as long as possible.
Place into iced water for 2 hours before using:

Dress the plate:
Place a 6cm circle cutter on the centre of a plate.
Spoon into the cutter the apple and yoghurt cream then remove the cutter so you have a perfect circle
Brush the bonito with the wasabi oil.
Lay the pickled bonito onto the apple and yoghurt cream gently.
Drain the strips of daikon well on paper towel and then place on top of the bonito.
Garnish the top of the bonito with baby leaves and cress.
Finally spoon the sake and garlic oil around one side of the apple and yoghurt cream.

Green apple and sheep yoghurt cream
800g granny smith apples (skinned and diced in lemon juice water)
250g butter diced
10g malic acid
50g sugar
Salt

150g sheep milk yoghurt (drained over night in a sieve)

Method:
Drain the apples from the lemon juice water and pat dry with paper towel.
Dice the butter and place into a heavy based pan.
Place the butter over a low to medium heat until the butter is melted and begins to bubble.
Add the apples, sugar and salt and stir so that the apples are well coated in the butter.
Place a lid on the apples and cook gently over a low heat, stirring from time to time.
Once the apples are tender, remove from the heat and drain off the butter setting it aside for later.
Allow the apples to cool slightly.
Pour the apples into a food blender and begin to blend.
Whisk the drained butter from earlier to emulsify and then add back 50g to the apples.
Blend the apples on full until a smooth puree is obtained.
Pass the puree into a clean bowl and whisk through the sheep yoghurt.
Store in a refrigerator until required.

Chive and sake oil
150g thick green chives, cleaned (blanched weight 300g)
3g salt
150g grapeseed oil

Method:
Blanch the chives in boiling salted water and cook for about 3 minutes until the chives are tender.
Drain the chives and refresh in iced water and then squeeze out as much water as possible.
Place the chives into a blender and add in the grapeseed oil.
Turn on and blend on full.
The oil will heat up from the friction to around 60c.
Blend for 3-4 minutes
Pass the oil through a fine filter into a container over ice.
Leave to drain in the refrigerator overnight.

To finish the oil:
80ml Chive Oil (from above)
20ml Sake (good quality)

Place the chive oil into a bowl over iced water until it thickens.
Whisk in the sake until the oil begins to emulsify.

Sepia Restaurant
201 Sussex Street, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9283 1990

Opening hours:
Lunch Tuesday to Friday from 12 noon
Dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm

Tags: australian restaurants, bonito recipe, bonito sashimi, food trends, martin benn, martin benn recipe, sepia degustation, sepia restaurant, sepia sydney

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Food Trends, Gastronomy, Restaurants, Reviews, Sydney

French comfort food: Mr Christian Dauve’s ultimate Gratin Dauphinois recipe

2 Dec

It was cold and miserable outside…. the Parisian winter is setting in. My friend and I stepped into the l’Auberge Rouge– a non-descript neighbourhood brassiere, to simply take a drink and catch up. I ordered the best red wine on the menu in an attempt to lift my spirits and defrost a little. The wine was not good at all. I drank it anyway. But then, halfway through our conversation, something happened. Both of us stopped talking, mid-sentence.

Something was cooking. And it smelt incredible.

We both looked around, frantically trying to identify the source of this heavenly smell, and then…. there it was. In front of our eyes, the source literally emerged before us.

A quintessential French chef, like a scene out of a 1920’s film, emerged slowly from a hidden underground kitchen. He was holding an enormous dish of creamy, cheesy, dreamy-looking BAKED POTATOES.

The chef emerges from his hidden underground kitchen carrying....

My usual curious self, driven only by my eyes and stomach, was now on a mesmerised mission. I jumped to my feet and walked over, making a beeline to the chef approaching:

“Monsieur, please, what is that exactly? It smells absolutely divine!”

With a big warm smile, ‘Mr Very French Chef’ in front of me responded:
“Ah madame, ça- ça c’est mon fameux Gratin Dauphinois!”

“Ahhhhh! Bien sûr! Le classique Gratin Dauphinois!” I responded, not at all surprised that something consisting of potatoes and melted cheese was responsible for this intoxicating allure.

However, it was not enough for me, I simply had to know more.

“But what did you put in there? It smells sooooo good!”

The chef chuckled, grinning with pride at the attention, but responding with full modesty:
“Well, it’s quite simple actually… potatoes, garlic, cream and nutmeg.”

“That’s it? What about the cheese, what kind of cheese goes in your gratin?” I queried.

“Cheese? Oh no no, there is no cheese, madame. The traditional recipe for Gratin Dauphinois is only done only with cream, not cheese.”

And from this point on, my ‘Aussie inquisition’ began, and whilst quizzing my new chef friend about his gratin, before I knew it, a mini pot of the gratin had been served up and whisked over to our table.

The culprit: Mr Christian Dauve’s amazing Gratin Dauphinois served up before us, moments before being devoured

We had just finished lunch an hour ago. Of course, we ate it anyway. And yes- it tasted just as good as it smelt- really, really, really damn, GOOD.

So good, in fact that I went back the next day and asked my new chefy friend for the recipe. In the end I got much more than the recipe- I walked away with a full history lesson on the Gratin Dauphinois and a new knowledge and appreciation of the origin of food, including some fascinating facts on the main ingredient- the humble potato.

So for a quick ‘French food history lesson’, this is how the story of the Gratin Dauphinois goes:

Scroll down if this has made you so hungry that you just want to get to the recipe!

Why does the traditional version of Gratin Dauphinois not have cheese?

Back in the 17th Century in the Haute Savoie region of France, cheese was practically a form of currency- it was an aliment of its own. Cooking with cheese it was unthinkable, and would have been extremely wasteful, not to mention expensive.

Farmers would milk their dairy cows in two rounds. The first round was called “le Bloche”– this was literally the cream of the cream. The first round is rich and very creamy. This would be then put aside and sold to local artisanal cheese makers who would produce quality butter and rich mountain cheeses such as the famous Comté .

The second batch of cows milk was called the “Re-bloche” (‘re-milking’) and results in milk which has a lower cream content and is less ‘rich’. The ‘rebloche’ would be kept by the farmers themselves and used for milk, cream, and for making a secondary cheese- the wonderful “Reblochon.”

The cheese was of course sold, and the cream would be used for cooking and enriching regional specialities such as the ‘Gratin Dauphinois’.

How did potatoes first arrive in France? We can thank the Americans.

It’s hard to imagine French cuisine without potatoes- they are such an inherent part of French food today that I never imagined this staple was an introduced product and has only been part of the French diet since Louis XVI in the 17th Century. My new chef friend Monsier Dauve was like a talking food history book as he explained the origins.

Apparently Jacques Quartier brought potatoes to France after an expedition exploring the Americas. In France, Count Parmentier (yes there is a potato dish named after him) a pharmacist, chemist and employee of Louis XVI, planted them in a garden with the intention of growing and harvesting the potato on a mass scale in order to feed the French peasant population. Unfortunately the potato was not an instant hit with the French who, at the time regarded it with great suspicion and fear. Since in its raw green state the potato is somewhat poisonous and not even dogs would eat them, the potato was a hard sell for Parmentier until he adopted a bit of reverse psychology.

Parmentier planted 50 acres of potatoes on a plot of land on the outskirts of Paris. During the day, he instructed a royal guard to watch over it. When the locals noticed that that the crop was of such value that royal guards were protecting it, their curiosity grew and hoards of people came to see what all the fuss was about. The trick worked. The potato gained a heightened intrinsic value overnight, and very quickly attracted widespread acceptance – today being one of the major foods in Europe and the rest of the world.

So that’s probably enough history on cheese and potatoes now- let’s get down to the best bit: Monsier Dauve’s amazing recipe. Don’t bother trying to read his handwritten version in the photo- I’ve translated if for you below. Enjoy!

The original, handwritten recipe given to me by chef Christian Dauve (Here's a pic, just to prove I'm not making it up)

Recipe: Traditional Gratin Dauphinois

Ingredients:
(Serves 6)

• 2 kilograms Bintje potatoes
(Bintje potatoes have a high moisture content and are low in starch, making them a ‘waxy’ variety. They are oval in shape, with pale yellow flesh).

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 1 litre fresh cream

• 1 heaped tbsp salt

• Half teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

And that’s it!

Here’s how you make it:

Preheat the oven to 200 Degrees Celsius

Using a large baking/casserole dish- either metallic or ceramic, finely grate the garlic cloves into the dish evenly so the inner surface is sprinkled with garlic. This is important- the garlic needs to be on the base of the dish, and not IN with the potatoes. This way it flavours the potatoes aromatically during the cooking time without having actual pieces of garlic throughout the potato gratin.

Wash and peel the potatoes. Slice them into rounds approximately 3-4 mm thick. And evenly layer and distribute them into the dish.

Sprinkle the sea salt and nutmeg over the top

Lastly, pour the cream evenly over the top of the potatoes. By adding the cream last, it distributes the salt and nutmeg throughout.

Bake the potatoes in the oven for one hour, uncovered. The actual magic happens in the last 20 minutes of cooking when all the ingredients are at boiling temperature and the potatoes soften with the cream then develop a golden crust on the top.

Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly, then spend the next hour answering the front door as the neighbours pass by to find out what that divine smell is wafting from your kitchen…

Tags: food trends, french chef recipes, french recipe, gratin, gratin dauphinois recipe, history of potato in france, l'auberge rouge paris, tradional french recipe

Comments 14 Comments
Categories France Culture, Paris, Restaurants

An expat Christmas in Paris: eating and shopping in the city of lights

4 Nov

Recently I was interviewed by Lucy Cousins, Deputy Editor at Australia’s InsideOut Magazine, for their special Christmas issue. InsideOut’s feature showcases five creative Australians living overseas and how they spend their Christmas. Below is the printed magazine extract, and you can find below the full interview which includes my favourite current addresses for shopping, dining and staying warm in this magical Parisian snow globe – otherwise known as the city of lights. Photo for InsideOut Mag by Carla Coulson

Excerpt from InsideOut Magazine Christmas Issue, 2011. Photo by Carla Coulson

What does Christmas mean to you?

Normally for me it’s all about family, but since mine is now on the other side of the world, Christmas is all about ‘coming together’. Making time to spend quality moments with the people we love, showing generosity and being grateful for the things we have. It’s also a time to embrace and honour traditions and customs whether they be religious or cultural – the important things which bring richness and diversity and meaning into our lives.

What do your Christmas celebrations in France usually involve?

I can summarise this one in about 3 words: eating, drinking and freezing!

What is your favourite part of the festive season in your adopted country?

The observation of intricate, rich customs and practices and seeing how the city changes as everything moves around these. For example in December all the patisserie shops are filled with impressive displays of the ‘Buche’ (a gateau in the form a of a log), then in January the window displays are filled with les ‘Galettes des Rois’ to celebrate epiphany. At Christmas dinner, they serve 12 kinds of small sweets such as truffles, biscuits, chocolates etc. at the end of the meal- 12 to represent the 12 apostles. It’s an endless procession of traditional practices, which as an expat unaccustomed to all of this, I find constantly fascinating.

Christmas cake accompanied by 12 sweets to represent Christ and the twelve apostle

What is a custom or tendency that you don’t understand?

There are many customs in France that continue to perplex me. For me France is the ultimate country of paradoxes… the main set of customs that continue to baffle me are all the hidden codes and procedures when it comes to dining.

Once thing that still gets me is how a dinner party will wait till the last guest arrives, no matter how late they are, to open the champagne and start the aperitif.

Last Christmas Eve, many domestic flights were delayed due to snowstorms and some guests didn’t arrive at the house until around 11.45pm. By this point I was ravenous after a long journey myself, and I had been staring at the 10 bottles of champagne and aperitif snacks all lined up in the dining room, which the host refused to open or serve until all the guests had arrived. We ended up finishing our meal at 4am because we started at midnight!

Patience is a virtue… champagne remains unopened until all guests arrive

How does it differ from your Christmas in Australia?

The difference is enormous. Everything is the opposite. The weather, the food, the way of celebrating, the people I share my time with and the language I speak. The cold weather is a real challenge for me being a real sun-lover, but Paris is so beautiful under the snow at that time of year, that it compensates for the weather. And as much as I love Christmas time in Paris, it just doesn’t compare to the familiar feeling of walking through the patio door at my parents house on Christmas Eve and seeing my Dad sweating at the BBQ with a big smile on his face wearing the same apron he has worn for the last 10 years!

What do you miss about Australia in general?

Things that just work! I didn’t realise it or appreciate it until I left Australia- but in Oz, thing just work. Administrative services, systems, etc are in general more efficient and reliable. Here you post a letter to the other side of the country, and it may arrive a week after something which was sent from the US. Banks and government call centres close spontaneously…

The other thing I really miss is SPACE. Large open living spaces, coastlines, vast beaches and national parks in Oz are all so close and accessible. I loved the relaxed attitude in Sydney- I miss being able to walk to my yoga class or walk in a supermarket dressed in my gym pants and sneakers without anybody glaring because you look so out of place… and of course the lifestyle I enjoyed being able to ride my Vespa to the beach after work and running in the sand then meeting friends for BBQ’s at the beach over long summer afternoons.

What is most stressful to you about Christmas and how do you deal with that?
Waiting in lines. The sheer population of Paris means I am always waiting – I queue to queue. I’m a terribly impatient person, (of course I’m working on it) but the frenzied crowds in department stores, the push and shove on the crowded metro and waiting 20 mins in a line at -4 degree temperatures just to buy your favourite bread on a Sunday morning can be unbearable.

Typical sunday in Paris: the bread queue

What is one way you ‘cheat’ at Christmas…(do you make your own wrapping paper or gifts, have you got a fool-proof recipe for pudding etc)?
For years now I have had my own little tradition of making Lebkuchen- a spicy iced German gingerbread (recipe here). Each Christmas I make an entire day of it and bake and ice about 200 cookies. It’s a great way to give a small gift to friends, colleagues or people you have been meaning to catch up with. Each year I package them differently depending on what nice boxes or papers I find in the shops. When you personally deliver them it’s a good excuse to have a cup of tea together and make time to catch up.

Lebkuchen – Christmas Gifts

Can you tell us three shops in Paris that are good to visit at Xmas (they might make great cakes, or sell amazing flowers etc)?

1. Go to Gontran Cherrier’s boulangerie in Montemarte and buy the special Christmas bread “La couronne de pain”- a bread wreath with 8 buns made of 4 varieties- wholegrain curry (for foie gras), chick pea and lemon (for oysters and seafood), nature/traditional (for meats and charcuterie) and the fourth is made with chestnut flour to serve with the cheese board.

He also makes a great Pistachio and Citron Confit “Galette des Rois”, which is traditionally served to celebrate at Epiphany in early January.

Gontran Cherrier Artisan Boulanger
22, rue Caulaincourt 75018 Paris
Tèl : +33 (0)1 46 06 82 66
http://www.gontrancherrierboulanger.com

Galette des Rois et La Couronne de Pain chez Gontran Cherrier

2. You must pay a visit to one of my favourite fromageries/affineurs in Paris- La Ferme Saint Hebert in Paris 9th.

When you walk in this cheese shop, the mere odour of over 200 varieties of French cheeses is just sensational ( I think so anyway) and you instantly know you’re in France. Owners Paulette and Henry- complete the typical Paris experience- right down to their white aprons, hanging Corsican charcuterie and the shop walls that are lined with jars of duck confit, foie gras, confiture, fruit pastes and patés.

At Christmas time we indulge in a winter mountain cheese like Mont d’Or. It’s a seasonal cow’s milk cheese packaged in round wooden boxes. You can eat it at room temperature, or pour white wine into the box, wrap it in foil then bake it for 25 mins. When it comes out of the oven it’s oozes with creaminess on the inside and melts like liquid heaven. The French like to pour the melting cheese over baked potatoes or eat it with fresh baguettes. Mmmm calorific ecstasy.

La ferme Saint Hubert Fromagerie
36 rue Rochechouart 75009 PARIS
Tel : +33 (0)1 45 53 15 77
http://www.la-ferme-saint-hubert-de-paris.com/

La Ferme Saint Hubert Fromagerie – Image from Bonbon Magazine, Summer 2009 lebonbon.fr

3. Treat yourself to a new fragrance at a French perfume house.

Dyptique on Blvd St Germain is just divine (my favourite is the ‘figue’ scent), Nicolaï Parfumerie on Rue des Archives in the Marias, or the official Geurlain fragrance house on Champs Elysées are three of my favourite boutiques. Fragrances are so sensory, when you buy a new perfume at Christmas time each time you wear it will bring back all those fond memories of those particular moments in your life. It’s also a great way to sharpen your sense of smell – just in time for appreciating all the great wines you’ll be drinking over Christmas.

What are three activities that you must to do in Paris at Christmas time?

1. Walk from place Colette (métro Palais Royale Musée du Louvre) through to the gardens of the Palais Royale and do some window shopping (if you can resist buying a pair of designer leather gloves, foulard or handbag) and walk all the way up Galerie Vivienne. At Christmas time they put out an impressive lighting display complete with draping red velvet curtains at the entrance – the interior is just stunning at this time of year. When you’re there you can have tea and scones at A Priori Teahouse to warm up and talk yourself out of buying those designer heels you fell in love with 10 minutes ago.

Galerie Vivienne is transformed by an impressive lighting display at Christmas

2. Visit the Galerie Lafayette and Printemps department stores and gaze dreamily at the window displays. It brings me back memories of my childhood in Melbourne when ever year my grandma would take me to see the Myer window displays. Only in Paris it’s packed with Louis Vuitton, Chanel, YSL… serious eye candy.

3. Go to the Marché des Enfants Rouge (Paris’ oldest open- air market dating from the 1600s) and located in the Marais. It’s filled with stands providing specialties from all over the world. Eat some spicy Moroccan couscous and tagines followed by sweet mint tea then at the flower stand opposite you can choose and buy a REAL Christmas Wreath. The wreaths are real – made of real holly leaves and berries, pinecones, fresh stone fruits – and they’re only about 7 Euros a piece.

Christmas Wreathes at Marche des Enfants Rouge, Paris. Image courtesy of http://cinderellapatch.blogspot.com

What is your favourite Parisian Christmas moment?

My best Parisian Christmas moment was the first time I saw snow in Paris – and it was around Christmas time. I was at my local little Christmas market on a Sunday (organised by the local town hall) and it was absolutely freezing. All of sudden it started snowing and the whole place was transformed. There were children riding on a gorgeous traditional the carousel and little stalls selling spicy warm red wine, fruit cakes and hand-made gifts. One of the stallholders insisted I tried their hot chocolate with a piece of pain d’épice, and then in that moment everything was just magical… I felt like a young girl who had been transported into a snow globe and then whisked off into a page of a children’s fairy-tale.

Snapshot moment of a Parisian fantasy snowglobe

What do you like most about living in Paris?

The innate appreciation of beauty.

Designed for detail: view from a typical Paris terrace

Where would you recommend visitors go for a special lunch or dinner in Paris on Christmas day?

Le Gallopin Brasserie. A classic and beautiful French bistro where they have been serving bankers, journalists and Parisians quality French brasserie cuisine in a stunning turn-of-the-century setting since 1876. The prices are very reasonable too – book 2 weeks before Christmas to avoid missing out.

40, rue Notre-Dame des Victoires 75002 Paris
Tél : +33 (0)1 42 36 45 38
http://www.brasseriegallopin.com/

What are your current favourite Paris restaurants?

Au Passage (Paris 11e)
Rossi et Co (Paris 2e)
Itinéraires (Paris 5e)
MaSa (Paris 17e)
Le Galopin (Paris 10e)
Avant Comptoir (Paris 6e)
Toyo, Yen (Paris 6e)
Le Pantruche (Paris 9e)

Join the conversation! Have any similar expat or stories to share from visiting Paris? Drop a comment below.

Tags: cheese paris, french christmas traditions, french food christmas, paris, paris christmas restaurants, paris dining december, paris shopping christmas, perfume paris

Comments 5 Comments
Categories France Culture, Gastronomy, Paris, Restaurants

The Annual Paris Summer Shutdown: Ten Great Paris Restaurants Open This August

14 Jul

Pamela Popo, Paris. Photo by Pascal Montary

Before you read further, please note this article was published for summer 2011. For 2012, Paris by Mouth has done the hard work for me and published a list of restaurants open by date over this summer here.

Summer in Paris 2011 is now setting into full swing. As I write this I look over my normally buzzing Parisian neighbourhood and remark at what a ghost town it has become already. Welcome to the mass Parisian exodus otherwise know as summer holidays.

From here until the end of August the Parisian population will be largely replaced with bright-eyed, heat-stroked, sandal-blistered, HUNGRY gourmet tourists from all over the world.

Unfortunately over the summer holidays most of the best addresses are closed for at least 3-4 weeks over August, so for gourmet travellers looking for great food in a good restaurant, it can often present quite a challenge. But don’t be discouraged; I have done all the hard work for you. After receiving numerous emails this week from people planning a visit in August and asking for recommendations on good places to eat that are actually open, I figured I should share the fruits of my research with you all.

After going through my own list of favourite Paris restaurants and foodie spots, I have personally phoned every single one of them to check their closure dates and times over the holidays, and here is my top 10. With this golden list you will never be caught in the tourist trap of succumbing to some crappy Paris bistro eating stale baguettes, bad steak tartare, drinking burnt black coffee or being served reheated ham and cheese crêpes.

Remember, it’s always a good idea to call ahead and book or check opening hours with restaurants. As much as I’ve aimed for accuracy with the given times and dates, it’s still possible that these places could spontaneously close- that’s the French way.

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RESTAURANTS IN PARIS OPEN FOR ALL OF SUMMER 2011:
Ordered by least expensive to most expensive

• Comptoir de l’Arc

73 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris (Champs Elysees/George 5) +33 1 47 20 72 04

Monday – Friday, lunch and dinner. Closed weekends

I almost selfishly considered leaving this place off my list as it’s one of my favourite summer hangouts and I like to know that I can arrive and actually get a table! This place has the typical ‘summer in Paris’ vibe and friendly buzzing ambience right next to the Champs Elysees and l’Arc de Triomphe. The food is of consistently good quality and inexpensive especially given the location. You will find dishes like Poached Trout Salad, Chicken Brochettes and Creamy Risotto, Grilled Market-fresh Fish and classics such as Steaks and comforting Buttery Potato Puree. The cheese plates and desserts are fairly fail-proof too.

• Pamela Popo

15 rue Francois Miron, 75004 Paris (Marias) +33 1 42 74 14 65

Every day, lunch and dinner

(Pictured in feature image) Fresh on the Marais scene, Pamela Popo is the new kid on the block and coolest place to be seen. Situated right next to one of the oldest original condition buildings in Paris and in the heart of the one quartier in Paris that never sleeps, owners Thomas and Mickael have all your needs covered. With an inviting outdoor terrace to take a drink, do some people spotting or get your cigarette fix, a cosy and intimate first floor for private parties and couples, everyone enjoys this spot for a different reason. The menu changes weekly depending on seasonal produce and is alternated with some crowd pleasing favourites such as Mushroom and Asparagus Ravioli with Savoury Pain Perdu, Crab and Avocado Millefeuille with Wakame Emulsion and if you’re still up for it- Rich Chocolate Hazelnut Praline Mousse.

• Derrière

69, rue des Gravilliers. 75003 Paris (Marias) + 33 1 44 61 91 95

Every day, lunch and dinner

Another gem in the Marais, you can literally walk up rue Tiquetonne and find 3-4 great addresses open year-round. If you didn’t know about this place you could easily walk past it but once inside you won’t want to leave. Great for an awesome meal or cocktail over sunset sitting in the buzzing courtyard or on the comfy, sexy lounges- the trendy and super friendly staff will show you true Parisian hospitality. Try the Grapefruit and Sweet Pea Salad, BBQ Chilli Oil Squid with Grilled Aubergine, Farm Chicken Poached in Red Wine Sauce and Prawns in Seafood Bisque served as Oeuf Cocotte.

• Le Tir Bouchon

22 rue Tiquetonne 75002 Paris (Montorgueil/Etienne Marcel) +33 1 42 21 95 51

Open every day lunch and dinner, except Sunday lunch

This is one of my fail-proof favourites. Located in a romantic little laneway in the heart of Paris just off rue Montorgueil, you’re guaranteed to have of those “God I Love Paris” moments when you dine here. The food is mostly traditional French but you can also find slightly modernised takes on the classics. They make an awesome Tarte Tatin, Goats Cheese Salad with Sweet Balsamic, and a range of great pastas and ravioli- just don’t order the Pasta with Foie Gras Sauce if you want to be able to walk yourself out of the restaurant.

• Mini Palais

3 Avenue Winston Churchill 75008 Paris (Champs Elysees in Grand Palais) +33 1 42 56 42 42

Open every day, lunch and dinner

If you’re looking for something a little more upmarket, gastronomic or romantic, you will love the Mini Palais. Boasting attentive ‘French style’ service and a location right off the Champs-Élysées next to the Grand Palais, and stroll from la Seine, Mini Palais also has a breathtaking view of the Eiffel tower. Signature dishes include Baked Escargot in Cherry Tomatoes with Almond Butter, Penne ‘Risotto’ with Chorizo and Basil, Pan-seared Scallops with Celeriac Purée and Coconut Emulsion, and their famous Baba Géant au Rhum. You can read a nice little anecdotal by Hilary Davis here

• Cafe de la Paix

12, bd des Capucines (75009 Paris (Opera / 9eme)
+33 1 40 07 36 36

Open every day lunch and dinner, Sunday brunch

Open since 1862, originally to serve the Grand-Hôtel de la Paix , this famous café was designed by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opéra (located across the plaza). If you can get past the hefty price tag and manage to relax into the whole vibe of ‘Parisian arrogance’ that so we love to hate, then you will really enjoy a little piece of La Belle Epoque at this address over the course of a luxurious Sunday brunch or designer patisserie.

• L’Arpège- Alain Passard

84 Rue de Varenne 75007 Paris
+33 1 45 51 47 33

Lunch and dinner degustation menus every day Monday – Friday.
Closed weekends.

Fortunately for us mere mortals, Alain Passard actually keeps the doors of his 3 Michelin star restaurant open for the entire summer. Moreover, unlike the restaurants of Ducasse or Robuchon where seeing ‘The Chef’ in the kitchen is like a rare celebrity sighting, Alain prides himself in maintaining a steady in-house presence at L’Arpège, where he can be seen gracefully fleeting between tables, personally welcoming and charming his already swooning, pleasure-state patrons.

Now, I’m no professional food writer so it’s somewhat intimidating to write about such a special place, but I can honestly tell you this: Alain is an alchemist, a magician, and a true artist. So if you’re planning a ‘special’ trip to Paris, then it’s quite simple really: forget about that Prada purchase… treat yourself to Passard! Purchases will one day be forgotten but dining experiences like this will last you a lifetime.

• Colunching and Codining in Paris

If you’re travelling alone, like meeting locals or other expats when you visit new cities, would like to practice your French, or just love dining in a group environment, then co-lunching or co-dining is always a great option for visitors to Paris. This new concept is the hottest new thing in the city of lights and is fast becoming a huge hit in the US and soon in Oz. You just jump on the website and choose from one of the pre-organised dinner or lunch events happening that day/week then RSVP. You can see whom you will be dining with, which languages they speak, and you each pay only for what you ate, at the end of your meal. That way you are guaranteed a good table, good company and hopefully a good time making new friends. Check out the site here

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RESTAURANTS IN PARIS OPEN FIRST HALF OF AUGUST:

• Spring Restaurant

(Closed 14th – 31st Aug)

6 rue Bailleul +33 1 45 96 05 72
Open Tuesday – Saturday for dinner, lunch on Friday only

Spring barely needs an introduction, given all the hype that this spot and Chef Daniel Rose have received since recently reopening. It’s ‘all on’ and nothing’s done by halves in this place, from their in-house baked bread through to the 64 Euro tasting menu which changes daily and features impressive dishes such as Duckling Stuffed with Apricots, Crispy Shredded Veal Breast with Orange Confit, Sparkling Sea Urchin, and Rich Chocolate Ganache with Salted Caramel and Chestnut. The moment plates land on the tables at Spring commands a dramatic moment of sacred silence, stalling the most animated of conversations. The atmosphere is kept chaud chaud chaud with a featured open kitchen and an expressive chef who isn’t exactly known for mincing words with his staff. Fortunately you can still enjoy one of the tops tables in Paris during the first half of August. If you can’t initially get a reservation, try calling again early afternoon on the day to see if there have been cancellations for that evening.

• Retro Botegga

(Closed 13th – 22nd Aug)
12, rue Saint-Bernard, Paris 75011 +33 1 74 64 17 39

Open Tuesday – Saturday from 10 am to 11 pm
Sundays 10 am – 2pm
Mondays 10am – 8.30pm

God I love this place. I hope I don’t regret promoting it on my blog, as there are only four tables in this special ‘Little Slice of Italy in Paris’- two inside and two outside.

Opened only five or so months ago by talented ex Rino Sommelier Pietro and charismatic business partner Salvatore, this Italian duo has recreated the heart of rustic Italy in the hip Oberkampf district of Paris. With an impressive selection of imported Italian wines, each personally matched to your tastes- you simply cannot have a non-eventful, unforgettable night in this place. Pietro is modest about his cooking abilities, but what he does in that tiny kitchen of his with simple ingredients, top quality fresh produce and a retro charcuterie slicer is really something else.

• Claude Colliot

(Closed 13th – 31st August)
40 rue des Blancs-Manteaux 75004 Paris +33 1 42 71 55 45

Open Monday to Saturday

This is one of my favourite styles of cuisine. Light, refined, inventive, delicate and produced with strict respect for fresh produce of the season. Signature dishes include Oyster Sorbet, White Asparagus and Rhubarb, Girolle Mushrooms with Apricots Pochés, Capucines-Jaune d’oeuf entire, fresh almonds (dairy free), and Smoked Volaille à la Reglisse. A three-course lunch menu is only $29 Euros.

A gorgeous meal that’s light on both the calorie and travel budget allowance- gotta love that.

• Le Chardenoux des Près

(Closed 14th – 22nd August)

27 rue du Dragon, 75006 Paris + 33 1 45 48 29 68

Open every day lunch and dinner

The latest concept by Cyril Lignac, this chic French bistro in Saint Germain is a great spot for visitors seeking well-executed French bistro classics cooked with love and French flair. Dishes include pâté de canard en croûte, émietté de tourteau et salade de pommes de terre, carpaccio de dorade au gingembre, curry de lotte, tartare (au couteau) frites, côte de cochon noir de Bigorre au saté, riz au lait, and profiteroles.

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RESTAURANTS IN PARIS OPEN SECOND HALF OF AUGUST:

• Ze Kitchen Galerie

(Closed 31st July- 15th August)

4 rue des Grands Augustins 75006 Paris +33 1 44 32 00 32
Open Monday – Saturday lunch and dinner, closed Saturday lunch

A great address for lovers of inventive, modern, risk-taking fusion French food. Especially if you prefer flavour to portion size, a great wine list, and appreciate open gallery style kitchen and well-designed loft spaces, this is your address for the second half of August. Menu includes Miso Wagyu Beef, Shrimp and Crab Ravioli with Thai Basil Pesto, and White Chocolate Wasabi Ice-cream with Lychee Jasmine Emulsion. Hungry yet?

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Here is an interactive map of this guide on Journly with each address pinned to its location.

Map of paris restaurants open in august on journly.com

Click through for an interactive map of these addresses on Journly.com

If you liked this guide, check out more like this on TravelSort

And just finish painting the Paris picture, here’s one of my favourite photographs by Robert Doisneau: “Les Coiffeusses au soleil”/ “The Hairdresses in the Sun” PARIS 1966.

Les Coiffeusses au soleil, Paris, 1966 by Robert Doisneau

Enjoy your trip to Paris and if you have any of your own favourites or personal dining stories from a past summer visit to the city of lights, feel free to drop in a comment below.

Tags: august paris dining, cafe de la paix, comptoir d'Arc, derriere, le tir bouchon, pamela popo, paris, paris dining tips, paris guide, paris restaurants summer, paris top 10, rachel bajada, reviews

Comments 5 Comments
Categories France Culture, Paris, Restaurants, Reviews

Queen of Tarts: Catherine Kluger’s sweet and savoury delights to warm the heart

1 Feb

Queen of Tarts: Tarts to warm your heart @ Tartes Kluger, Paris

God I love a good tart. There’s something about that crumbly, buttery pastry, filled with baked goodness that is ever-so satisfying; and the art of the tart is something the French manage to do so well.

A simple but perfectly baked tart can be the ultimate comfort food, and the perfect pastry base has become the ultimate creative canvas for tart master Catherine Kluger- creator of “Tartes Kluger”, Paris. Kluger- an ex music industry lawyer who loved baking and creating delicious treats for friends and dinner parties, donned the suit and slipped on her apron in 2009 when she opened Tartes Kluger in the vibrant and eclectic Marais district of Paris.

Originally a boulangerie, the space was transformed into this unique atelier des tartes where you can now dine in, take away and even order your tarts online, home delivered and hot on arrival.

Follow your nose: heavenly scents waft out of the Tartes Kluger entrance and fill the backstreets of the Marais

Shopfront window @ Tartes Kluger

Menu of the day

The extensive range of both sweet and savory tarts is made with seasonal, organic fruit and vegetables, and the eggs, cream and flour are sourced where possible from quality, sustainability certified suppliers and fabricated to respectful ancient methods.

Some of the tarts you can order by the slice or as part of the degustation menu include:

Savoury:
• Thai salmon, zucchini + vermicelli
• Fresh goats cheese, tomato, basil + mint
• Roast pumpkin, chestnut + mushroom
• Curried madras chicken and tomato
• Foie gras, potato + raspberry vinegar
• Green pea, zucchini, rocket + artichoke
• *Carrot, lemon and coriander pictured (Scroll down for recipe below)

Sweet:
• Orange and cardamom with chantilly ginger cream
• ‘Mont blanc’ style chestnut pavlova pie
• Mango and coconut summer biscuit
• Plum and almond cream
• Passion fruit, hazelnut meringue + lime
• Sweet Ricotta and raspberry

Peace by tart: Spinach, ricotta & sesame, Three-ham & mustard, Carrot, lemon & coriander tarts

Sweet Summer Mango Biscuit Tart

Tart to warm hearts: The warm dark chocolate tart boasts a crumbly biscuit base and soft, brownie-like centre

Lle Cafe Gourmand chez Tartes Kluger

Behind the scenes @ Tartes Kluger: Tarts fresh out of the oven

Freshly baked hot chocolate tart

Mouth watering yet? Mine is, just from writing this!

What I most love about the humble tart is the unlimited variety of delicious combinations you can create, starting only from a well-made sweet or savoury pastry base. You are limited only by your imagination, inspiration and availability of quality, seasonal ingredients.

Let’s see… Carrot, Lemon & Coriander Pie, followed by a Summer Mango & Coconut tart- what better way to make a square meal out of a round dish? Now all you have to do is an afternoon “faire tour” of vintage shops in the fabulous Marais district, and convince yourself that the shopping has burnt off your lunch!

Of course, casually ‘popping into a Parisian tart bakery’ for lunch is not always an option, however baking a homemade tart and sharing the love with your friends and family is a true pleasure of its own. Fortunately, Catherine loves to share her recipes and tart-making tricks of the trade. Her two beautiful and fully illustrated cookbooks are available on Amazon, and her recipes are well sought after for their imaginative flavour pairings, seasonal approach and crowd-pleasing appeal. The Carrot, lemon confit and coriander tart I tasted on my visit was my absolute favorite, so thanks to Catherine, I have translated and am sharing her recipe for this delicious, trans-seasonal savoury tart below.

Catherine Kluger, Recipe Books, The Chef

The queen, her books, her chef

Catherine Kluger: Queen of Tarts

Do you have a favorite tart recipe? What was the best tart you have ever eaten, and where? Do you have any baking tips for the perfect pastry, or perhaps some gluten free ideas and alternatives to share with the rest of us? Post your ideas and thoughts in the comments box below.

Happy tart making and baking!

Recipe:
Carrot, Lemon Confit & Coriander Tart
Courtesy of Catherine Kluger

Carrot, Lemon Confit + Coriander Tart: Recipe below

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Resting time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: Tart Pastry

Start the tart by preparing the pastry, and the first step should be preheating the oven to 200ºC/400ºF
This pastry recipe makes one 9-inch (23 cm) tart shell and is sourced from VEGETARIAN COOKING FOR EVERYONE by Deborah Madison, as quoted on gourmet.com

A fail-proof French–style crust for lining those French tart pans with a removable bottom. Because the dough is so short, it’s virtually impossible to overwork it.

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds or cumin

Instructions: Tart Pastry

Stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a bowl, then work in the butter with two knives, your fingers, or a mixer until it makes fine crumbs without becoming completely smooth. Stir in enough water to pull the dough together. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

To line the pan, roll the dough out into a 9-inch circle then set it in the pan. Using the heel of your palm, press the dough up the side. If some pieces are too long, break them off and add them, as needed, to areas that are too short. The sides should be about ¼ inch thick, rise ¼ inch above the rim, and be slightly thinner at the base of the pan. This way, when the dough slumps during the baking, this shallow space will be filled evenly instead of being overly thick and under-baked. Carefully set the tart shell in the freezer to harden.

Tart shells are nearly always pre-baked before filling. To pre-bake a tart shell, preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius/400ºF. “Blindbake” the pastry shell by lining pastry over with baking paper, then filling the tart tin with dry rice or legumes such as beans or lentils which will weigh down the based and stop it from swelling. Bake until set and lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Check it several times for swells and prick any large bubbles with the tip of a knife.

Ingredients: Tart filling

• 300 ml milk
• 100 ml pouring cream
• 3 whole eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 200 g carrots
• 30 g lemon confit (preserved lemon)
• ½ bunch fresh coriander

Instructions: Tart preparation

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.

Peel carrots and cut into very thin strips or shred with a processor into long and thin noodle-like shreds.
‘Sweat’ the carrots to remove their water content by resting the carrot shreds in a colander mixed approximately 2 tsp of course sea salt. Leave to rest for one hour then ‘pat dry’ using a tea-towel to remove excess water and salt.

Take the pre-baked pastry dish arrange the shredded carrot at the bottom of the dish as evenly and vertically as possible, trying to make them ‘stand upright’ rather than lie flat on the bottom of dish, to fill the volume of the tin.

Rinse confit lemon, dry with paper towel and dice until it’s finely minced. Chop the coriander leaves finely and spread the coriander and lemon evenly over the carrot.

Prepare the liquid ingredients by mixing the eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
Pour the liquid over the top of the carrots etc up to the height of the edge of the pastry. Decorate the top with coriander and cracked black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes whilst you drink a glass of champagne and call your friends and family to the table.

Bon Appétit!

Tartes Kluger can be found at 6 Rue du Forez in the Marais (3rd) arrondissement of Paris
Metro: Temple, Filles du Calvaire
Ph: +33 (0)1 53 01 53 53
www.tarteskluger.com