Friday, November 19, 2010

SMOKED HADDOCK & GRUYÈRE TARTLETS

Haddock Tartlets Picnik collage 1 bis
I make no secret of the fact that I am a big supporter of English specialities and get mad every time I have to read or hear the moronic comments of ignorant people who have the guts to bring British gastronomy down. That irritates me to the highest point as most of the time they don't know what they are talking about and sheepishly follow the false propoganda regarding that country's food...

I mean, Great B
ritain has proved to have amazing chefs, shown the world that bad food can only be blamed on careless and inexperienced "cooks" and not on tradition (there is no bad food only bad cooks). When will certain individuals stop smirking at the word association "British Cuisine"? England not only has wonderful produces, but also an ancient cooking wisdom so it's about time that the above-mentioned folks put an end to those myths.

Being half-English and coming from a family of brilliant homecooks it is my duty to carry on those old eating customs and not lose my culinary patrimony that
is so dear to me and perpetuate my link to that island. It is for that reason that I am a big fan of beautiful magazines such as Good Food, Delicious and Jamie which offer hundreds of gorgeous recipes every month.

While browsing through one of my Good Food magazines a particular Gordon Ramsay recipe caught my attention. His "Haddock & Gruyère T
artlets" looked so scrumptious. I had to make them as soon as possible.

Smoked haddock (made with either cod or had
dock which is partially boned & lightly salted/in Scotland known under the name of "Finnan Haddie") has always been a produce I've enjoyed when I was in England. I remember that my grandmother bought it from a fish seller who travelled around with his van and sold extremely fresh goods (the fishes were still swimming in the sea no more than 3-4 hours before) out of the back of his truck. Once a week he stopped in front of my grandparents' stone cottage, honked and happily chatted with us while presenting his fantastic choice of goods . He had the most amazing fishes I have ever eaten.

Thankfully since I live extremely close to the French border (a few meters away) it is possible for me to buy smoked haddock from the Casino supermarket in Gaillard, Haute-Savoie. Although the French smoked haddock is a little dryer, a lot smokier, less plump/thick, dyed with annatto and seems to be made with whiting (and not cod nor haddock like it's English counterpart) I am already very grateful to find it in stores as it nostalgically reminds me of my holidays in Belper, Derbyshire.

As usual, I took the liberty to adapt Gordon Ramsay's recipe and ommitted to prebake the pastry and didn't serve my tartlets with a poached egg, but a bunch of arugula/rocket instead. I was really happy with the results as my "Haddock & Gruyère Tartlets" were as pretty as on the Good Food pictures and tasted just divine.

The pastry (my recipe) was delightfully flaky and beautifully golden, the filling was very
flavorful and the lighty mustardy Gruyère béchamel paired perfectly well with the smokiness and delicate fish aromas of the haddock, and the arugula added great nutty, spicy (peppery-mustardy) as well as warm notes. Definitely a dish I will make again!

Haddock Tartlets Picnik collage 6 bis
~Haddock & Gruyère Tartlets ~
Recipe for the "Shortcrust Pastry" by Rosa@Rosa's Yummy Yums & recipe for the "Haddock & Gruyère Tartlets" adapted from Gordon Ramsay.

Makes 4x 12-14cm tartlets.

Ingredients For The "Shortcrust Pastry":
300g Plain white flour (no self-raising flour)
1 Tsp Fine sea salt (you can add 1/2 Tsp more if you like the taste of salt)
150g Unsalted butter (or 100g Unsalted butter & 50g
Lard)
~80 ml Water
Ingredients For the "Tarts":
500g Shortcrust pastry (recipe above)
400g Smoked haddock with the skin
400ml Milk
2 Egg yolks
2 Tsp Mustard (Dijon, yellow, basic or English)
25g Unsalted butter
25g All-purpose flour
100g Mature AOC Gruyère, grated finely
100g Arugula (washed), to use as decoration

Method For The "Shortcrust Pastry":
1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl/bassin.
2. Add butter and rub between the fingers until the mixture is flaky.
3. Pour in water, gradually, while continuously cutting and stirring with a knife. Stop adding water when the dough is stiff. It should not be sticky or wet. Gather up into a soft ball and place it in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Method for the "Tarts":
1. Put the haddock in a medium saucepan and cover with the milk. Season the milk with a little black pepper and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
2. Remove the fish from the milk and strain the milk into a jug.
In medium pan, melt the butter. When it has melted and is starting to sizzle, stir in the flour and cook until combined to a sandy consistency.
3. Gradually stir in the poaching milk, mixing well after each addition.
4. Bring to a boil and let simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes until you have a smooth white sauce.
6. Remove the pan from the heat, then add the Gruyère and stir.
7. Break the haddock into large flakes into a medium bowl and throw away the skin and the bones.

Haddock Tartlets Picnik collage 4 bis
8. Add the egg yolks and mustard to the haddock and stir in the cheese sauce (it should be at room temperature). Set aside.
9. Divide the pastry into 4, thinly roll out each piece, then cut out 4 circles big enough to line 4 x 12-14cm fluted tartlet pans. Press the pastry into the sides of the tin and roll the surface of the pan with your rolling pin so that the excess will fall away.
10. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F). Place the pans in the fridge to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the fridge and prick the base with a fork.
11. Divide the filling between the tartlet cases, then bake for 25-30 minutes until the filling is puffed up and golden brown like cheese on toast, and the pastry is golden brown.
12. Remove from the oven and leave the tarts to cool slightly.
13. Decorate with the arugula (on top).

Remarks:
Always lift the flour out of the bowl while rubbing; it makes the butter/fl
our mixture airy.
Be careful not to add too much water as the pastry should not be stick to the touch.
While mixing the water to the flour/butter mixture never work the pastry like a bread dough, otherwise you would end up with a stiff, hard and elastic pastry.

You can replace the Gruyère by AOC Appenzeller or AOC Vacherin Fribourgeois
The filling can be made a day ahead and chilled.
The tarts can be made several hours ahead and eaten at room temperature or slightly reheated. Don't store in the fridge, or the pastry will get soggy.

Serving suggestions:
Serve the tartlets warm from the oven.
You can top it with a poached egg and chives or accompany them with a salad (lamb's lettuce).

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Haddock Tartlets Picnik collage 3 bis
~ Tartelettes Au Haddock Et Au Gruyère ~
Recette pour la "Pâte Brisée" par Rosa@Rosa's Yummy Yums & recette pour les "Tartelettes Au Haddock Et Au Gruyère" adaptée de Gordon Ramsay.

Pour 4 tartelettes de 12-14cm de diamètre.

Ingrédients pour la "Pâte Brisée":
300g de Farine blanche/fleur
1 CC de Sel de mer fin (ajouter 1/2 CC si vous aimez votre pâte un peu salée)
150g de Beurre non-salé, coupé en petit dés (ou 100g de beurre + 50g de saindoux)
~80ml d'Eeau très froide ou assez afin que la pâte forme une boule
Ingrédients pour les "Tartelettes":
500g de Pâte brisée (recette au dessus)
400g de Haddock fumé avec la peau
400ml de Lait
2 Jaunes d'oeufs
2 CC de Moutarde (Dijon, Thomy, américaine, forte anglaise ou douce)
25g de Beurre non-salé
25g de Farine blanche
100g de Gruyère AOC mature, râpé finement
Une poignée de roquette pour décorer

Méthode pour la "Pâte Brisée":
1. Tamiser la farine et le sel dans un bol moyen.
2. Ajouter le beurre et frotter
la farine et le beurre entre les doigts afin d'obtenir un mélange qui ait la texture sabloneuse.
3. Verser l'eau, graduellement, tout en mélangeant bien (n'ajoutez plus d'eau quand la pâte aura atteint la bonne consistance/ni trop mouillée, ni trop collante). Former une boule puis la mettre au frigo pendant que vous préparez la garniture.
Méthode pour les "Tartes":
1. Mettre le haddock dans une casserole et le recouvrir avec le lait. Assaisonner le lait avec un peu de poivre noir et porter à ébullition, puis éteindre le feu. Mettre de côté et laisser refroidir de manière à pouvoir manipuler le poisson avec les mains.
2. Sortir le poisson du lait et verser le lait dans un pot tout en le filtrant.
Dans une casserole moyenne, faire fondre le beurre. Une fois fondu et quand il commence à grésiller, ajouter la farine et bien mélanger afin que le tout soit homogène et ait une texture sabloneuse.
3. Graduellement, verser le lait (dans lequel le haddock à cuit). Mélanger après chaque ajout.
4. Porter à ébullition, puis laisser mijoter à feu doux pendant 5 minutes jusqu'à obtention d'une sauce crémeuse et assez épaisse.
6. Enlever la casserole du feu, puis incorporer le Gruyère tout en remuant.
7. Emietter le haddock (morceaux pas trop petits) et jeter la peau et les arrêtes.

Haddock Tartlets Picnik collage 5 bis
8. Ajouter les jaunes d'oeufs et la moutarde, puis la béchamel au Gruyère (à temp. ambiante) et mélanger le tout.
9. Diviser la pâte en 4 et l'étaler afin de pouvoir couper en cercles assez grands pour foncer les moules à tartelettes de 4 x 12-14cm. Une fois cela fait, se débarasser de l'excédent de pâte.
10. Préchauffer le four à 200° C. Mettre les moules au frigo pendant 10 minutes, puis les retirer du frigo et les piquer avec une fourchette.
11. Remplir chaque tartelette avec de la garniture, puis cuire les tartelettes pendant 25-30 minutes jusqu'à ce que la garniture et la pâte soient joliment dorées (suffisement cuitent).
12. Sortir les tartelettes du four et les laisser refroidir légèrement avant de servir.
13. Decorer avec de la roquette.

Remarques:
Soulevez toujours la farine lorsque vous la frottez avec le beurre: ç a apporte de l'air au mélange.
Faites bien attention de ne pas ajouter trop d'eau à votre pâte. Elle ne doit pas être collante.
Pendant que vous mélangez l'eau au mélange farine/beurre, ne la travaillez pa
s telle une pâte à pain, autrement votre pâte sera dure, élastique et pas manipulable du tout car vous aurez libéré le gluten contenu dans la farine.
Le Gruyère peut être remplacé par de l'Appenzeller AOC ou du Vacherin Fribourgeois AOC.
La garniture peut être faite le jour avant et mise au frigo.
Les tartelettes peuvent être cuites quelques heures à l'avance et mangées à température ambiante ou être réchauffées.
Ces tartelettes ne doivent pas être conservées au frigo car elles deviendront toutes molles et humides.

Idées de présentation:
Servir les tartelettes chaudes.
Vous pouvez aussi déposer un oeuf poché sur la tartelette (milieu) et saupoudrer avec un peu de ciboulette ou manger vos tartelettes avec une bonne salade (mâche).

Haddock Tartlets Picnik collage 2 bis

91 comments:

  1. Davvero deliziose queste tortine salate sia con la rucola come hai fatto per renderle più leggere una licenza giusta dalla ricetta originale ...e anche con l'uovo , bella ricetta e foto ciao ti auguro Rosa un felice week end

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  2. C'est toujours un plaisir de venir se promener par chez toi: les recettes sont appétissantes, les photos superbes...

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  3. such a delicious recipe...and great photos!

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  4. I love english cuisine!!
    I am absolutely blown away by the look of those tartlets! They look luscious!

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  5. I Could never resist such a treat, how lovely. I think the combo is wonderful.

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  6. They are plenty delicious British food to savor, your "haddock & Gruyere Tarlets" are no exception !

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  7. How pretty! Looks delicious too-love Ramsey:) Your pictures are gorgeous!!!

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  8. What a beautiful dish. Thank you for sharing these, Rosa. You are very talented in the kitchen!

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  9. Those little tarts are so cute! A masterpiece :)

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  10. If you microwave the tarts after putting them in the fridge, will it be restored to its original state?

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  11. MICHELLE CHIN: I guess it would be ok (I don't have a microwave though...). I put mine in the fridge and then rehaeted them in the oven at 150° C and they were ok (not soggy anymore).

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  12. Little tartlettes are the perfect finger food for entertaining and these here look so full of flavor. Love the combination of the smoky fish with the rich bechamel.And your photos and presentation as always are stunning!

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  13. Elles sont magnifiques Rosa, et je suis bien d'accord avec toi, il y a des trésors dans la gastronomie anglaise, insoupçonnés des autres européens. A toi de participer à nous les faire découvrir.

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  14. I don't know much about English cuisine, but I think this tart looks amazing. Wonderful combo!

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  15. What a great combination of ingredients Rosa...love the haddock in the tartlets!

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  16. Rosa, I love all things smoked and this tart is no different.

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  17. Gracias por devolverme la visita!!!!
    Por fin he conseguido poder leer tu blog en castellano!!!
    Gracias!!
    La tarteta de abadejo está para chuparse los dedos, y la presentación es espectacular!!!
    El queso gruyere le ha de dar un gusto exquisito.
    te felicito.
    Un saludo.

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  18. People tend to think that British food is just fish and chips, how sad is that?
    Outstanding and so perfect tartlets.
    Wishing you a great weekend ♥

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  19. J'aime beaucoup ces tartelettes Rosa. Elles ont l'air superbe. J'aime bien l'idée de combiner le poisson fumé au fromage. Tout ça dans une tartelette en plus, ce que ça doit être bon:)

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  20. it looks so delicate, soft and yummy!

    have a nice time,
    Paula

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  21. You are a good advocate for British cuisine Rosa!

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  22. ANA POWELL: Yes! But once again, if they had eaten a gourmet fish & Chips made with fresh ingredients and not soaked in bad fat, they would think totally differently!!!!

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  23. Looks delish! I love food from Britain! One of the best chefs that work’s for me is from London and his food is amazing! I'm also a big fan of Nigella. Love your additions to the recipe

    Best,eva

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  24. Looks awesome Rosa, have a lovely weekend! x gloria

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  25. love your post and the pictures are just glamorizing. I wish I could eat the grapes just like that

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  26. Rosa this looks and sounds wonderful. Just my sort of dish. Gorgeous pics

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  27. This is my kind of meal! Looks delicious! I agree there is much merit and deliciousness to British cuisine, and it is sad that more people don't see that.

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  28. Hear, Hear! I have several friends overseas that make comments about American cooks--that always gets me riled up! Anytime you generalize a whole country, region, people group...you get yourself in trouble.

    Lovely dish!

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  29. De toute beauté Rosa! Tu m'impressionnes vraiment, tes photos sont trop belles et que dire de tes tartelettes... ;)

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  30. Tu as tout à fait raison Rosa, je t'approuve entièrement. Ces tartelettes ont vraiment l'air délicieuses et tes photos, comme toujours, sont magnifiques.

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  31. These tartlets look so pretty; I would love to taste them especially since I have never tried haddock! It all looks so English and dainty and wonderful!

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  32. A fish tart has never looked so good! ;)

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  33. can't agree with you anymore on no bad food but bad cook! Gorgeous food styling, as always!
    I heart Gruyère, but it's ashame that the ones (even is imported from Swiss) I tasted in Barcelona aren't as high quality as that I tasted in Switzerland.

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  34. What glorious tartletes! I love smoked fish!

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  35. What a delicious looking tart! I love smoked haddock but we can't get it here in the US, except maybe at a specialty store. I love the recipe too.

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  36. Where would we be without Yorkshire Pudding, scones, and tarts? ; )
    Beautiful, Rosa. That grape shot belongs in a kitchen gallery.

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  37. Rosa, I always enjoy your photos! And the tart sounds really good. Bookmarked it for later use. I love Gordon Ramsey's recipe too! I think he is a super cool guy. ^_^ Enjoy your weekend.
    Cheers, Kristy

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  38. The culinary propaganda is everywhere dear Rosa. Everyone wants something and some times I feel frustrated because nothing seems to be Greek any more as everything is something else, except Greek. Your tarts look beautiful and anything Gordon Ramsey makes is amazing. Sometimes I feel like using that "F" word when I read such propaganda :)

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  39. British food gets a bad rap. These look divine.

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  40. I don't look down on English cuisine at all! And these tartlets look and sound delicious!

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  41. They look so cute n sound absolutely delicious..!

    US Masala

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  42. I am a big fan of Gordon Ramsay & British food. I spent much of my childhood in the UK & those are some of my fondest foodie memories :) These savory tartlets look great!

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  43. pour nous le repas type du dimanche soir !!pierre

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  44. Olala j'ai envie de ces tartelettes là, tout de suite !!!!! :-)

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  45. De plus en plus merveilleux!! Bo dimanche ma belle Rosa xx

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  46. I'm inclined to agree with you Rosa. I adore when you remind us of British culinary contributions. This Gordon Ramsay dish sounds exceptional.

    Thanks for sharing...

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  47. Hey Rosa, me too! I always am shocked to hear people speak ill of any British food. I always find it so warm and comforting. I mean, I'm sure it can be bad at the hands of a poor cook, but, otherwise, it's kind of awesome (smile). Oh, and this tart is proof of that. Yum!

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  48. lovely tartlets, perfect combination and the photos are great, cheers!

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  49. Rosa, this is DEFINITELY A YUMMY YUM!!!! How Beautiful is this. Wish i had a bite... or two!

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  50. I am so intrigued by these incredibly yummy tartlettes. We do not make much with haddock, but I will certainly be on the lookout.

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  51. They sound great, thanks for the inspiration!

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  52. Ce n'est pas moi qui vais te contredire ;-)

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  53. I agree, Rosa. The days of knocking English cooking are over. I've had some extraordinary food there.
    And this tart is a perfect example. It looks delicious!

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  54. Coucou Rosa! ^-^

    Jérôme ne dira plus que j'ai de "drôles" d'idées! Je lui ai fait une tarte aux carottes et hareng doux fumé ce week-end!

    Je me sens moins seule en voyant ta jolie recette!

    Je sais que c'est d'une banalité absolue, mais qu'est ce que j'aime tes photos!

    Parfois, je regrette de n'avoir qu'un antique appareil, parce que franchement, même en me cassant la tête, les résultats laissent à désirer!

    Je vais abuser pour un conseil! (enfin, si tu veux bien et si ça ne révèle pas un secret de professionnel!^^) Comment je peux faire pour ne plus avoir cette ombre noire horrible sur mes photos?

    Merci :)

    Je te souhaite une très jolie semaine!

    Bisous :)

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  55. I think British cuisine has a spectacular number of specialties! These savory tartlettes sound wonderful, love the Gruyere cheese!

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  56. Absolutely stunning Rosa ...wow!

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  57. English fish pies always sound delicious, and I don't know why I've never made one. Your tartlet is lovely, and the arugula on top makes a pretty garnish!

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  58. Oh, these are gorgeous, Rosa! Fantastic combination of flavors too!

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  59. sounds good and it looks beautiful...

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  60. Rosa, I featured your carrot cookies recipe on my blog. Thanks for such a tasty recipe!

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  61. Other than smoked salmon, I don't get much exposure to smoked fish in the US. Which makes me all the more curious. I love savory tarts, too.

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  62. Rosa, the tartelets looks fabulous...love the combination of the Gruyère and Haddock :-) SO elegantly presented.

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  63. Seems to me that the people who boast their negative opinions, generally have the least amount of knowledge to back it up...
    These tartlets are gorgeous and the flavors are perfect together. I am loving the add of arugula here topping these beauties off :)

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  64. you are so talented, both at making food and taking photos. beautiful :)

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  65. You are so forthcoming in sharing your recipe :) That's really kind of you and I'm sure your blog pals all benefited.

    Too bad I am not a baker;(

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  66. A beautiful tart and beautiful photographs! I had fabulous food when I visited London. So nice that you're carrying on the tradition.

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  67. Just beautiful, Rosa. Lucky you, living so close to the French border :) I adore the pictures of the grapes in particular. All are simply stunning though!
    Heidi xo

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  68. That looks great, I realised thatI just don't cook with haddock enough! :)

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  69. gruyere is such an elegant and delicious cheese. these are great, rosa, my favorite part being the sneaky mustard. :)

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  70. avec une petite salade c'est parfait !!!

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  71. oh wow that looks so delicious! I need to get some haddock right now!

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  72. oh such a lovely savoury tartlet, I am oozing for one! fly me one next time! :)

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  73. These sound delicious.. I love the flavors! I studied abroad in London during college and everyone warned me of "bad British food" but I absolutely loved it! I thought they had a lot more going for them then people give them credit for

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  74. Thanks for educating us and sharing all these wonderful recipes. Love your scenic photos, too.

    Paz

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  75. Très jolies et surement délicieuses ces petites tartelettes!

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  76. You will never hear a moronic comment from me about British food. My husband is from London so I have been exposed to some fantastic British fare. Now these little tarts are incredible and I definitely will be trying these out. Who can resist? Love Gordon's recipes too. You both are very creative.

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  77. That looks absolutely amazing!

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  78. this looks so lovely... you are so talented! thanks for sharing this.

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  79. Rosa...I absolutely agree about how ignorance about grouping everyone in the same pot could be extremely frustrating. With this post as well as with this delicious looking tartlet...you did your family and culture proud ;o)

    Ciao for now,
    Claudia

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  80. These Tartlets look so cute and incredibly delicious!!!

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  81. Oh what a beautiful tart Rosa, picture perfect , outa glossy magazine !!
    Gosh i can imagine how delicious this is:-)
    happy day with lods of love from Mia!

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  82. j'imprime et je tarderai pas à tester, ca a l'air délicieux (et j'aime bien gordon ramsay)

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  83. La cuisine anglo-saxonne en fait sourire plus d'un mais je suis d'accord avec toi. Elle est bien souvent délicieuse. Les photos sont superbes.

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  84. Fish and cheese is one of my favourite things. What a delicious tart!

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  85. beautiful crust on the tart. good job.

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