I only had 45 minutes to present all the ingredients and techniques so I chose a classic caprese salad, truffled risotto and seared pickerel. As I do during my cooking classes, I want you too cook and eat less
pre-prepared items so I simplify techniques and describe ingredients in a truly accessible fashion. I know I already have risotto on the website but it illustrates so beautifully just how something can be simplified. The technique I
use for risotto, I use for all my rice preparations. Basmatti, long grain, risotto, can all be made easily, quickly with the same simple technique.

Let us start however with Caprese salad, a simple yet truly delicious dish that can be put together in a matter of minutes.

Caprese salad

½ ball Buffalo Mozzarella

2 Tomatoes

2 tbsp. Pesto

12 leaves Basil

Slice the mozzarella into rounds, slice the tomatoes and add pesto. Toss to coat and set aside while
everything else is being prepared. When ready to present layer tomatoes, mozzarella
and basil leaves around a plate to form a beautiful presentation.

Instead of a mozzarella ball try Boccincini (small balls of mozzarella), or provolone (aged mozzarella)
for a different flavour.

Risotto is not as complicated as most cookbooks make it to be. Usually it calls for
heating the stock separately (another pot to wash) and turns you into a slave
to the pot as you add little bits of stock and stir continuously for 35
minutes. Too complicated, so let’s simplify it. Just like any other rice dish
use 1 part rice and 2 parts stock. Everything else are flavourings.

Truffled risotto

2 tbsp. Olive oil

½  Onion

1 clove Garlic

½ Carrot

1 stalk Celery

1 cup Rice, Arborio

2 cup Stock

¼ cup White wine

50 g Butter

10 g Truffle

60 ml Cream 35%

50 g Parmesan

Start by chopping the onion, carrot, celery and set aside. Chop a truffle to little pieces and mix with soft butter. Add
oil to a hot pot, add onions and garlic. Cook a moment then add carrots and celery. Continue to cook then add rice and stir to coat with the oil. Add all
the stock and white wine and cover the pot. When it comes to a simmer give it a last stir, turn the heat down very low and let it cook for twenty minutes. Stir
butter, cream and parmesan and serve.

Finally was the seared pickerel. Pickerel is a fresh water
fish, nice and light in flavour with a great flaky texture. What we want to achieve
is to sear one side giving it a delicious golden color. So when we put it into
a hot pan don’t touch it, let it cook and as the surface browns it will loosen
and allow us to flip it with little sticking. This is true of any protein in a
hot pan or even on the barbeque. Don’t poke and prod flipping again and again. Leave
it to cook and brown to reduce sticking. Another trick to use to help in
browning meats and fish, dry the surface, it won’t brown until all the moisture
evaporates so give it a helping hand.

Seared Pickerel

2 tbsp. Olive oil

150 g/ person Pickerel

1 tsp. Celery seed

1 tsp. Caraway seed

1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Herbs de provence

2 Shallots

1 clove Garlic

100 ml White wine

½ Lemon, juiced

Handful Grapes, halved

Heat the pan before adding oil. Place fish flesh side down and let it cook you will see it start to
turn golden on the edges, give it another minute before flipping it. Once
flipped add shallot and garlic and season the golden flesh with ground spice
and herbs. As the shallot just starts to color add white wine,   lemon
juice, and grapes. Finish cooking another 3 minutes, total time is roughly 10
minutes.

Try it yourself, change the flavourings, use a different
fish. It’s the technique that counts everything else will fall into place.

I would also like to thank the coordinators and everybody who worked to make this a great event, you all did a great job. Mortar and pestle intends to be back next year so please keep an eye out for our booth.

This year we demonstrated risotto. As a culinary educator I have found in my classes great confusion in the method, cooking technique, proper rice to use, and how to finish it. We tried to show you that it is not a difficult and time consuming dish to put together.

Let me start by explaining rice. Rice is a seed, also known as grains. The plant is classified in the grass family of plants originally grown in south East Asia. From this beginning it has traveled and been cultivated across the globe giving rise to multiple regional varieties and types. Different cultures have chosen different characteristics and desires for their food as their climate, land and food beliefs have chosen the species of rice to suit themselves.  Rice species fall into three basic categories, short grain, medium and long grain. Long grain is perhaps the most recognized, labeled as either long grain or with regional names such as Basmati, Texmati, Jasmine and many others. Short grain may be called, Arborio, Carnoroli, Italian style, or sushi rice amongst others. Rarely will you find a medium grain rice as it is not a very popular style.

To make risotto, it is the short grain rice we are looking for. Arborio, Carnoroli, and Italian style is the one to choose. To make risotto stay away from the sushi rice, the starch is gluey and not desired to create a creamy smooth rice dish.

Many times you will find in the cookbooks and TV shows risotto is a time consuming process where small amounts of stock are added and stirred into the rice over and over again. I have found this technique is unnecessary, not only does it make you a slave to the pot, preventing you from cooking anything else but it doesn’t work with any consistency, sometimes well cooked, sometimes still undercooked, sometimes overcooked and mushy. Let me explain a simpler, consistent and easy method you can use at home.

First of course buy the correct rice, as stated it is short grain, labeled as Italian style, Arborio, or Carnoroli. Second use 1 part rice and 2 parts stock. Third assemble flavourings for your rice; below I add garlic, pepper, white wine, and herbs de Provence. Fourth finish the rice with a splash of cream, butter and parmesan cheese. Fifth, eat and enjoy.

Place your pot on the burner, set to medium and heat it gently. Just before adding rice, splash a tablespoon or less of olive oil, add the rice, the garlic and sauté just until a few grains have a light golden color, (about 3 minutes). Add all the stock or liquid at this point along with the flavourings of pepper, wine and herbs. Stir a few times until the pot comes to a simmer then cover, turn down the heat and let it cook for twenty minutes. Taste the rice, each grain should be firm without any hard bits inside, if it is then add the butter, cream, parmesan, stir and serve.

Risotto

15 ml Olive oil

200 g Rice, Arborio

30 g Garlic

400 ml Stock, chicken

50 ml Wine, white

Pinch Pepper

Pinch Herbs de Provence

30 ml Cream

30 g Butter

60 g parmesan

This recipe is a basic canvas, the technique is easy and not time consuming taking only five minutes to prepare and allowing the rice to cook alone for twenty. Use this recipe to build upon, saute strips of chicken before adding the rice, add asparagus , red pepper, or any other vegetable when adding the herbs. Add shrimp or a piece of fish in the last few minutes, the options are endless.

Have fun and as always Eat Well.

Other than all the classes my girlfriend and I were searching for a home and found a fantastic just under 1 acre property outside of Ancaster, Ontario. The house was built in 1865 and has a lot of character, it has been modernized somewhat over the years but will still need further upkeep (means more time needed, can we extend the day a little I’m just thinking an extra hour or two?) The property is beautifully laid out with a great area for my garden and some fruit trees.

On one side of the property is a clap board barn with two stories, renovated it will make the perfect space for a demonstration kitchen so I am hoping to be able to invite you back to my mini-farm next summer, plans are already being put together to make this happen.

I have also looked into getting a couple of egg laying hens; there are several breeds on the endangered list, including the only Canadian breed called a Chantecler. Currently there are less than 100 breeding females left in the world and I know my little flock is not going to tip the scales but I would rather get an endangered species over an industrial production breed.  

For the past several years I have dreamed of this moment, researched and experimented in my friends and fathers backyards, planting herbs, and vegetables. I have an asparagus bed at my fathers that will be producing this year and look forward to that; I may not get very much my father is a real asparagus lover. His backyard is not very big, in fact all I could fit in was 4 4×8 planting beds but ended up with a huge amount of carrots, onions, green beans, some tomatoes and lettuce coming out of my ears.

I would have gotten more strawberries but the robins showed a real affinity. I was sitting on the back porch one evening, putting some recipe ideas on paper when a robin landed in the garden snapped up the last strawberry ( it wasn’t quite ripe so I hadn’t picked it). There I sat, the robin, strawberry in mouth staring at me. I felt he was taunting me…see what I have, what are you going to do about it.

Well of course nothing, I don’t cover or protect my gardens, I feel that the work I put into it (not a lot) for what I get out of it (a lot of satisfaction and a number of meals) more than makes up for the loss of a few fruits and veggies.

I will keep you posted on future developments, as always

Eat well my friends

Shawn

Turkeys are natural to the Americas, one of the few domesticated animals from this continent, joined by the Alpaca, and the Guinea pig of South America. The turkey has a place of honour in American celebrations both North and South. While Thanksgiving is the traditional feast so closely associated with the turkey, Christmas is definitely a close second. The turkey rose in prominence as a Christmas feast after the publication of Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carole in 1843. A prominent scene and a turning point in the change of heart experienced by Scrooge was a gift of a roast turkey for the family feast towards the end of the story. The story of Scrooge and his rehabilitation helped propel the turkey as the meat of choice for sharing at a large celebratory feast with friends and family at Christmas.

The turkey from its humble beginnings as a forest bound bird has changed dramatically so that todays domesticated bird barely resembles the wild turkey still found in many pockets of North and South America. Today’s birds have been bred to form large breasts in response to the publics demand for a greater portion of white meat over dark. Turkeys are often labeled ‘young’ which designates the bird to be less than 24 weeks or 6 months old. Turkey is and can be raised using several methods, the conventionally raised turkey, organic, free range and pasture or naturally raised are 4 classifications you may find in stores.

 Conventionally raised birds are in fact a recent ‘inovation’ using the rules for mass production turkeys are bred in large numbers, packed densly into large vented barns and fed on a constant cycle for very rapid growth. A conventionally raised turkey can be ready for market in as little as 14 up to 24 weeks. Packed so densely in barns without sunshine and often with tainted feed and water, disease in these situations can be a problem. Using a low dose of antibiotics to fight the prevalence of disease led growers to realize that a little antibiotic can in fact speed the growth of a turkey. Not all growers use antibiotics in these sub therapeutic levels and is a question you should definitely ask your butcher or meat manager about.

Free range is the second method for raising turkeys. In free range birds the turkey is raised in the same fashion as the conventional bird, with the addition of bird gates in the barn providing access to an outdoor yard or ‘range’. The theory is that providing the turkey access to an outdoor range allows the turkeys better living conditions, more space to move, fresh air and sunshine. The practice does not quite live up to the theory. Again the turkeys are densely packed into raising barns, and growers are of course naturally cautious about introducing disease to their flocks. Young birds are susceptible to disease as there immune systems are still week in the first few weeks of life. To prevent disease the flocks are confined and the range doors left closed for the first 12 weeks. The doors are then opened but of course the habists of the birds are formed and few if any are brave enough to venture outside. Free range like there conventional counter parts are brought to market in as little as 14-24 weeks.

Organic turkey is raised following ‘Organic” principles as codified by the USDA and other world government organizations. Organic in the case of turkeys will guarantee the birds are antibiotic free, and fed on a diet of grains produced using ‘Organic’ methods. In this case it means the grains are grown using natural fertilizers, and soil additives, without chemical or traditional manufactured herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Organic does not guarantee a better quality bird or prove it is raised in a safer or more humane way but does ensure less antibiotics and fewer chemicals are used to raise the bird.

Finally in response to consumer demand a fourth category has arisen in the last decade; Pasture or naturally raised turkey. The last method is in fact a return to older traditional methods of farming, used for thousands of years before the rise of today’s factory farms. Turkeys are not kept in barns but may still be confined in moveable structures called a poultry tractor. A tractor; if used has an open bottom and poultry netting around the sides, the device holds a small number of turkeys and are moved daily. This daily move provides the turkey with fresh grasses and seeds, insects, constant fresh air and sunshine, better exercise and prevents a build-up of disease. Pasture raised turkeys are by far the superior bird, with firmer flesh, more complex flavours and a more humane growing method.

So now we know the categories what about fresh versus frozen. Fresh turkeys are harder to find, and cost more due to the logistics of growth demanded by planning for a specific to market date. Are they better than frozen? A frozen turkey can and often is frozen for as much as two years before it is sold to the public. As freezing prevents the meat from spoiling it does not prevent enzymes in the flesh from breaking down the muscle fibres. The enzymes, not slowed by the sub-zero temperatures will attack and break down the tissues, resulting in a loose and watery meat, that dries out quicker when cooked. Not all frozen turkeys have been sitting for two or more years but few producers put a frozen on date on the packaging so we can never be sure how long it has been sitting around.

If you buy a frozen turkey be sure to plan ahead, give yourself at least 24 hours to thaw the bird…in the cooler. Never thaw a turkey on the counter; it will start to rot on the outside while the inside is still frozen. Ok so you need your frozen turkey thawed in a few hours; grab a large pot or pail that will hold the turkey completely submerged. Place it in a sink under a slow trickle of water. The current of slow water will pull the cold from the bird quickly and thaw the meat in a matter of a few hours. Again do not use warm or hot water, use cold to prevent the spoiling of the outside before the inside is thawed.     

So now we have decided on the type of turkey, next comes the easy part…but that will have to wait until tomorrow. My turkey needs basting.

As always with great wine develops great artisanl producers such as Pristine Gourmet and of course great cheese such as Upper Canada in Jordan and Fifith Town In “the County”. I am always excited about these fantastic oppurtunities to eat and experience great food and the fantastic and always interesting company that comes along with it.

So thanks again for joining us at Upper Canada and as promised here is the recipe for Comfort Cream soup. Pair it with a light and refreshing wine such as Strewn wineries Gewurtztraminer/Riesling or for red try Sandbanks Baco Noir, delicious.

Comfort Cream

30 g                        Butter

3 pieces                Shallots

1 Stalk                   Celery

2 cloves               Garlic

1 medium            Potato, russet

2 tblsp.                 Flour

1 L                           Stock, chicken

150 ml                   Cream, 35%

Sachet with        Thyme, Bay leaves, Peppercorns

1/3 wheel            Comfort Cream

Chop the shallots and celery fine. Melt the butter and lightly cook the shallots and celery until just soft. Dice the potato and garlic, add to the onion, celery continue to cook a few minutes. Add the flour and cook on low a few minutes longer. Add the stock and stir well to incorporate. Tie the sachet using cheese cloth so it can be removed later, as the stock comes to a simmer add the cream and simmer together for 20 minutes to reduce a little. Remove the sachet, add the Comfort cream and blend together in a blender or food processor. After cheese is added do not bring to a boil.

Ok well I understand that these are all pertinent questions, and the more aspects of turkey selection you look at the more complex the whole idea becomes. So lets take them one at a time and then decide what is important and what is not.

First let me just say that no matter if you cook a turkey well or cook it poorly it just doesnt matter. What matters is the social gathering, surrounded by friends and family, people that you love and who love you. The food is certainly a great excuse to gather, to celebrate, but in the end it is the gathering and celebrating that is truly of value. So please dont fret if the turkey is a little over done or under seasoned. The best seasoning is great company.

So first lets tackle the stuffing / dressing and reserve the whole of the next post just to turkey. Stuffing and dressing are essentially one and the same, the difference is in well, whether you stuff it in the turkey or not. I recommend dressing, cooked in a casserole dish rather than stuffing. Cooking a turkey has its own complications that need not be further complicated by densly packing it full of bread and seasonings. The risk is in overcooking the turkey, which stuffed is (almost) guaranteed or in under cooking the stuffing now full of raw turkey drippings. Trying to keep the turkey breast moist yet fully cooked, and cook the stuffing fully is difficult at best, and impossible at worst. So for those reasons alone I recommend dressing over stuffing.

Dressing comes in so many styles, variations and guises it at times no longer resembles dressing. At its most basic dressing uses stale bread, turkey or chicken stock, fresh or dried herbs and a few other flavourings such as celery or mushrooms. We can always add further to this most basic of dishes with the addition of walnuts or chestnuts, cranberries and even cheese. 

Lets start with the basics, using stale bread versus fresh bread. The bread is the platform or foundation for building flavour, it works as the scaffolding to hold everything else together so why use stale, isnt fresh always better. Sure it is when talking about vegetables, meats and poultry, fresh bread from the oven slathered in creamery butter is a true delight. But it is the water content in fresh bread that inhibits the addition of flavours to the dressing. Chefs worldwide understand that water has little flavour and so reduce all thier stocks, and sauces, dry thier meats and poultry and reduce water content whenever possible. It is the loss of water that makes stale bread desirable, besides what else are you going to do with all that old bread that accumulates. The second step is to toast your stale bread, not only does this reduce the water content even further but develops beautiful caramelized flavours by browning the bread a little, delicious.

The second layer of flavour comes from the stock. Once again stock is made from water, and suspended solids that give it flavour. Reducing the water content intensifies the flavour making it rich and decadent, perfect for a truly sumptious dressing. When reducing stock all the flavours are intensified so start with a well made stock, without to much salt. Some decent premade products are available but look for the ones made from real products not fillers and additives, and please the top ingredients should not be salt or yeast extract ( a salt substitute).

Next come the flavourings, start with a great base, finely chop onion, carrot, and celery, sauteed till soft in a little butter. To this add further dimension such as button or shitake mushrooms, dried cranberries and walnuts, lightly toasted for deeper intensity, (toasting removes water and caramelizes the sugars and protiens). Finish with fresh or dried herbs, the classics are thyme and sage but use your imagination and have fun with the dish.

Combine the toasted stale bread with the flavourings then add the stock, only enough to moisten everything, you dont want it soggy. Remeber that you can add more stock but once added you cant take it back out. Press this mixture into a buttered casserole dish let it rest a little to totally hydrate the mixture, then bake with the turkey for about 45 minutes. I have included a decadent recipe based on a savoury bread pudding, using the basics for making a dressing the addition of eggs and cream makes this a truly sumptious delight.

Decadent Holiday Dressing

500 g                     Bread, stale, cubed

30 g                        Butter

1 medium            carrot

1 medium            onion

2 stalks                 celery

100 g                      Shitake mushrooms

100 g                      walnuts

1 bunch                  Thyme

1 bunch                  Sage

100 g                      Cranberries, dried

300 ml                   Stock, chicken

50 g                        Blue cheese

250 ml                   cream, 10% or higher

2                              yolks

Spread the cubed bread on a tray and toast at 350* until lightly golden, set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the yolks and cream.

Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery and sauté in butter slowly until just soft, add the mushrooms, cook a few minutes then add the walnuts. Add the cranberries, herbs and stock and reduce the liquids by 1/3. Take off the heat and strain the liquids slowly into the egg and cream mixture so as not to cook the yolks. (This is called tempering the yolks)

Crumble in the blue cheese with the flavourings and bread then pour the strained stock, egg and cream mixture over top. Let it sit at this point for at least a half hour or in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.

Bake for about 45 minutes at 325* and again let sit a few minutes before serving.

Next we tackle the turkey…stay tuned and as always

Eat well

The class started off with a little surprise, my friends had stepped out to do some last minute arrangements, leaving me to put the finishing touches on class preperations. As I understood the guests were to arrive a little after 1 pm and the class would start at 130. However the limo pulled up at 1245 and suddenly I was the main and only host, needing to make them comfortable I introduced myself, Nami was a great help, quiclky seizing control and making sure every body had drinks and giving me just enough time to finish the preperations.

Together over the next three hours we made pistachio macarons, hummus and fresh Naan bread, pate sablee filled with my friends own jam, a spectacular product line called From these Roots, and a couple other items. We had a great time, laughing and sharing personal stories about food from home and abroad. We wrapped up the class as the other guests started to arrive, as I had a few things for dinner yet to do. The dinner was a formal sit down affair with three courses, a choice of soup or salad for appetizers and a choice of roast pork or grill smoked trout for entrees and finished with a rustic apple tart, with cinnamon chantilly cream.

The soup was a fantastic hit, a Pumpkin bisque with holiday spiced cream. The trick if you can call it that is to start a great soup off on the right foot, with a great stock. It has to have flavour and body or the soup made from it will be flat and lifeless. I like to make my own stocks when I can but have found a few commercial items that can stand in when needed so I will reserve the stock making for another time. When making a great soup I always start with what the French call Mirepoix and the Italians call a sofrito. A collection of aromatic vegetables usually in a trio consisting of, onions, celery, and carrots, but also at times including leeks, or peppers. Slowly in butter and olive oil the flavour base of mirepoix is cooked. The fats are used because the flavours in vegetables and all foods for that matter have both fat soluble and water soluble parts to them that are extracted in the cooking process, this is what we later identify as flavour and aroma. After the sofrito is cooked until the onions are translucent I add garlic and cinnamon with a little nutmeg and allspice, and cook a few more minutes. To the pot is then added the stock, and a sachet. A sachet is cheesecloth tied into a bundle containing in this case, bay leaves, peppercorns and lots of thyme. With all these flavours piling up as the stock concentrates, reducing in the pot, I am roasting in the oven the last components. A small pumpkin and two butternut squash have been cut in half, drizzled with olive oil and a little salt and placed cut side up to roast and develop a light brown colouring. Softened in the oven the squash are peeled and join the pot where with a wand blender the pumpkin soup is pureed. But wait, I know we have built a lot of flavour but we are not quite done. The soup is finished with a little cream and a final knob of butter to give it a glossy sheen and poured through a strainer to achieve a silky finish.

Here is a slight variation using only one butternut squash, as I dont believe you are cooking dinner for 33 this weekend. have fun in the kitchen and as always…Eat well.

Butternut squash soup

1              Butternut squash            } Cut in half, drizzle with olive oil, and salt. Roasted at 350* cut side up until soft and lightly browned.

2 tbsp.  Olive oil                              } Cook the onion, carrot and celery in butter and olive oil until soft

2 tbsp.  Butter                                  } Add the garlic and spices and continue to cook a few more minutes.

1 med.  Onion                                   } Add the flour, stirring to ensure the vegetables are evenly coated.

1 med.  Carrot                                  } Add the stock slowly at first to hydrate the starch and then the rest all at once.

2 stalk   Celery                                  }

3 clove  Garlic                                  } Add a sachet containing a few peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves, and parsley stalks.

1 tsp.     Cinnamon                           } Let the soup reduce on medium low heat while the squash cooks, about 45 minutes.

½ tsp.    Allspice                              }

½ tsp.    Nutmeg                              } Peel and chop the cooked squash puree and strain the soup.

2 tbsp.  Flour, A.P.                         } Add cream and butter at the end making sure not to boil it at this point and finally…

2 L           Chicken Stock                  }

250 ml   Cream 35%                        } Season to taste with sea salt and fresh pepper.

1 tbsp.  Butter                                    } The soup is reducing during the cooking process so reserve the addition of salt until the very end.

When I talk about the pantry I dont mean a cupboard full of cans of ravioli, or prepared soups. I dont keep frozen dinners, or premade meals. In my pantry I like to keep, flours, unbleached wheat, corn meal, buckwheat, sugars, beans,and plenty of spices. I keep pastas and rice, chocolate, lentils, and a host of other dry goods just waiting, eager with anticipation to be turned into something fabulous.

Pantry extends from the cupboards of dry goods to the freezer and even the cooler. Fresh vegetables bought in small quatities and maybe a piece of meat, fish or poultry to flavor the meal and we are off. I try to save time and money at the grocery store by sticking to the perimeter. Since the real food is kept to the perimeter I am not distracted by the thousands of SKU’s (stock keeping unit) that linger, brightly coloured and garishly designed to grab my attention. So quickly and easily, the few items needed to compliment the pantry are collected and dinner is almost ready.

Sometimes it is what is left, fresh and waiting in the cooler from the day before, to be paired with inspiration from the pantry, and sometimes it is the pantry, panko crumbs crying for a piece of fish. I see the eggs, nestled in thier little cups in the cooler and listen as they whisper, desire for the brocolli in a frittata. Every item, stored in the pantry, is a dinner eager to be. A small pouch of frozen smoked salmon, long storing leeks from the fridge, garlic,  and a little olive oil take no time to prepare. In fact with the Pappardelle in the pantry it takes exactly 15 minutes to have dinner ready.

Its not just about saving time and money, its about the pleasure of company. Nothing is nicer than great company, sharing great food. Even when company is arriving by surprise or with short notice, something in the pantry will call, will holer, put me in coach, I am ready, I can do it. Risotto with dried mushrooms and salty parmagiano regiano is born. flour, water, and oil, combine to become flat breads, topped with olive oil and rosemary, or potato sliced thin, shallots, garlic and mozzerella. Olives, smoked meats, a frozen baguette and some cheese bring a tear of joy to my eye as my guests laugh and share stories from there busy days.

To me the pantry is about saving time, saving money, but even more so the pantry is about creation, and inspiration for great meals, shard with those I love. Try this delicious all pantry recipe using light and crispy Pate Sablee, with dried mushroom quiche.

Pate Sablee

250 g                      Flour, A.P.

125 g                      Butter

2                              yolks

Enough                 Water, cold

Pinch                     Salt

Combine the flour, salt and butter in a bowl and rub the two together until it becomes like coarse peas.

Add the yolks and then drizzle in cold water, (start small) until the dough just comes together.

Don’t over work this dough, don’t knead it, just work it enough to form a smooth ball then set aside for a half hour.

Dried Mushroom Quiche

125g                       Mushrooms, dried

1pc                         Sausage, air dried

100ml                    Chicken stock

3                              Eggs

2                              Egg, whites

100ml                    Cream

50g                         Parmiggiano

Hydrate the Mushrooms and sausage in hot chicken stock and set aside until ready.

Combine the eggs and cream, and set aside. Roll out half the Pate Sablee recipe, placing in a tart tin.

Drain the sausage, mushrooms, adding the drained stock to the eggs. Combine together into the tart.

Season with pepper, top with Parmiggiano and slide into a preheated oven at 350*.