Masterclass Rich, flaky, and fun to work with, this quintessential French pastry is as versatile as it is delicious. RECIPE + TEXT: DENISE MARCHESSAULT ST YLING + PHOTOGR APHY: DEB GARLICK
The Pleasures of
Puff Pastry
The French are extraordinarily inventive when it comes to pastry, and there’s no greater testament to their ingenuity than puff pastry. Light and crisp, with layers that shatter with each bite, puff pastry is the prima donna of pastries. Whether the French actually invented puff pastry is debatable (historical references and folklore often contradict). If, however, you’ve attended a French culinary school, you know that France is responsible for all things delicious. Classic puff pastry is created by sandwiching a slab of butter between two layers of dough. The dough is then rolled out and folded in thirds. The rolling out and folding process is repeated six times, with refrigerated resting periods between each fold. The folding creates a multilayered dough (729 layers to be precise) that swells when exposed to high heat. The steam from the melted butter causes each layer to puff yet remain intact. Ingenious, indeed. However impressive, few have the time, patience or inclination to prepare puff pastry from scratch. Fortunately, pre-made puff pastry is as near as your local grocer so time-strapped cooks can create French-inspired pastries with ease. I’ve shared two of my favourite puff pastry recipes on the following pages—one sweet, the other savoury. First up, if you have a fondness for sweets, you’ll love palmiers, a light, crisp cookie that is nothing short of addictive. Palmier is French for palm tree, a resemblance I can barely make out. (Still, I prefer palmier to the cookie’s other names—“elephant ears,” “pigs’ ears” and “shoe soles”—curious descriptions for such a delicious treat.) Palmiers are easily transformed into savoury appetizers by replacing the sugar with Parmesan cheese. Pesto, tapenade and sun-dried tomatoes make delicious fillings, too. Next, savoury tarts featuring roasted vegetables and mushrooms atop a lemony ricotta and feta base. These company-worthy, make-ahead tarts are re-warmed and drizzled with a piquant vinaigrette just before serving. Tarts are a fine way to dress up leftovers, so feel free to tinker with your own imaginative fillings. And, once you’ve mastered tarts, you can easily swap the savoury fillings for sweet. Fresh berries and pastry cream, for example, make exquisite summer tarts. Sweet or savoury, puff pastry knows no bounds. 20 MARCH/APRIL 2019
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French Palmiers 2019-02-21 9:10:55 AM