And hunting down good food is always his aim. “It’s so wonderful to go somewhere where the cooking is so bloody good,” he says with feeling. “It makes you remember what restaurants are all about really; meeting your friends, having a lovely chat, having some decent wine and something decent to eat. “When you have an evening like that, you forgive an awful lot,” he adds. “And when the French are cooking well, they’re cooking very well.”
FIG AND FRANGIPANE TARTS (Makes 6 tartlets)
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For the pastry, put the flour, butter and salt in a food processor
and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Transfer to a bowl and add the egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of cold water to make a smooth but not sticky dough. Add the extra water if required. Put the dough on a floured work surface, roll it out and line six loose-
bottomed 10-12cm tartlet tins. Chill for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C. Line each tin with a circle of baking parchment or foil, add
baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, then put the tins back in the oven for a further five minutes. Turn the oven down to 190°C/Fan 170°C. While the pastry cases are cooking make the frangipane. Beat the butter
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and sugar together in a bowl until you have a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the eggs and almond extract, then stir in the ground almonds and mix well. Divide the mixture between the pastry cases and arrange six fig wedges on top of each tart. Scatter with some of the flaked almonds and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Dust with a little icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature with some creme fraiche.
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Rick Stein’s Secret France by Rick Stein, Available now.
32 / PROPERTYMAIL INCREDIENTS For the shortcrust pastry:
*170g plain flour, plus extra for rolling *100g cold unsalted butter, cubed *Pinch of salt *1 egg yolk *1-2tbsp ice-cold water For the filling:
*100g butter, at room temperature *100g caster sugar
*2 eggs, beaten *1/2tsp almond extract *100g ground almonds *9 figs, quartered *1tbsp flaked almonds To serve:
*1tsp icing sugar *6tbsp creme fraiche
TIGER BAY 14-25 November
Interiors emporium Rockett St George, is renowned for its quirky eye and distinctive, glamorous look - and capturing these vibes in your own home has never been easier, as brand founder Jane Rockett and Lucy St George have shared their secrets in a new book, Extraordinary
Interiors.Here, Jane and Lucy talk to us about how it all began, staying inspired, and how to recreate their style in your own home... their secrets in a new book, Extraordinary
Interiors.Here, Jane and Lucy talk to us about how it all began, staying inspired, and how to recreate
their style in your own home...
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