french apple tart

I love tarts. There's an elegance about open-faced desserts that makes them an attractive finish to your dinner party. This French apple tart is a cinch to make after you have mastered the technique of the dessert tart (or quiche crust-- ingredients are almost identical, just differently proportioned). It takes practice, like all baking does, but follow the detailed instructions below and you'll be a pro in no time. 

Bon appetit! 

recipe

for the tart shell:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup bleached cake flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 6 ounces chilled unsalted butter, diced
• 1/4 cup chilled vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup ice water

for the apples & glaze:

• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup apricot jam
• 3 tbsp sugar

1. Combine the flour, salt, sugar and diced butter in a food processor. Pulse about 5-7 times.
2. Add the vegetable shortening. Turn on the food processor and with the motor running, add the 1/2 cup of water right away, then turn it off. The butter and shortening should look like small peas by now. Pulse 2-3 more times if necessary to break up the butter into pea-sized clumps. Be sure you don't overmix!
3. Transfer the pastry dough to a lightly floured work surface. Working quickly, form the dough into a rough ball and then slice it in half with a butter knife. Form each portion of dough into a flat disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and put them in a Ziplock bag. Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours to firm up the butter.
4. To form the tart shell, quickly roll out one of the chilled disks on a lightly floured pastry marble or work surface. The dough should about about two inches larger than the diameter of your tart pan.
5. Use a pastry cutter to loosen the dough from your work surface, then drape it over the tart pan. Gently press the dough onto the bottom and sides of the tart pan, ensuring it has a solid rim standing half an inch higher than the top of the pan.
6. Trim any excess dough that may be hanging over the sides of the pan. Use it to patch up the tart shell, if needed. Then, using a fork, prick the bottom of the tart shell until it is speckled with small holes.
7. Refrigerate the tart shell for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 450°.
8. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Rub the jam through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan and stir in the sugar. Simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, until the glaze registers about 225°. Use while warm or reheat if necessary.
9. Core and thinly slice the apples. Pat dry with a clean dishcloth, if needed.
10. Pull the tart shell out of the oven and brush the bottom of the shell with a thin layer of glaze. Arrange the apple slices in a decorative pattern, sprinkle on a tablespoon of sugar, and pop that tart in the oven.
11. Bake at 450° for 30-40 minutes or until the crust has crisped and browned lightly. Remove from oven and brush the apples with the remaining glaze. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

If you make this recipe, hashtag a pic to #spiceandhutch and post to Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter. I'd love to see your culinary creations!

**from Julia Child's the Way to Cook**

tuna niçoise tartine

If I could pick one thing to eat for lunch for the rest of my life, it would be tuna niçoise tartine. The confit garlic aïoli goes beautifully with a medley of fresh herbs as well as the salty acidic punch that you get from the olives and cornichon. 

A tartine is an open-faced French sandwich with savory or sweet toppings. This variation is basically a tuna sandwich on steroids, and it doesn't disappoint. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Recipe is below.

recipe

for the confit garlic aïoli:

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 8 oz extra virgin olive oil
• 5 oz canola oil
• 1 large brown egg
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

for the tuna salad:

• 8 oz canned tuna in oil, drained
• 1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp cornichon, finely chopped
• 2 tsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tsp chervil, finely chopped
• 2 tsp capers, finely chopped
• 2 tsp shallot, minced
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
• salt and pepper 

to serve:

• 4 thick slices sourdough or pain de campagne
• 4 romaine or butter lettuce leaves
• 12 Niçoise or kalamata olives, sliced in half
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, thinly sliced
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp chives, minced
• 8 whole cornichon

1. To make the confit garlic aïoli, pour half of the olive oil into a small saucepan and add the garlic. Cook on low heat for about 20-30 minutes until the garlic becomes soft. Keep a close eye on it - the garlic browns and burns very easily!
2. Remove the garlic and set aside. Combine the garlic oil with the remaining half cup of olive oil and the canola oil. Stir to combine.
3. Run the three garlic cloves, the lemon juice, and the egg through a food processor for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Then, with the motor running, pour in the combined oils very, very slowly. You want a tiny thread of oil pouring from your spout. The aioli won't emulsify properly if you pour too quickly, so be patient with it. Once you have added the combined oils and the mixture has thickened, turn off the machine and season to taste, if needed. 
4. In a medium-sized bowl, add the chopped herbs, capers, cornichon and shallot, the strained tuna, the lemon juice, the paprika, a half cup of the aïoli, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix together until nicely combined. Season to taste. 
5. To assemble the tartines, spread a dollop of the aïoli on each of the four slices of bread. Add 1-2 leaves of the romaine or butter lettuce leaves and a couple heaping tablespoons of the tuna salad to each slice of bread. Top each tartine with the radishes and boiled eggs and olives, and garnish with the minced chives and smoked paprika and whole cornichon. Serve immediately.

Adapted from the Bouchon by Thomas Keller

If you make this recipe, hashtag a pic to #spiceandhutch and post to Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter. I'd love to see your culinary creations!