Tarts, quiches and clafoutis
A good way to use some unhappy slices of ham at the back of the fridge, the extra cheese from a raclette, the remains of a barbecue/soup/leg of lamb etc., is to make tarts, quiches or clafoutis. The difference between these three is that you use pastry to make tarts, eggs to make clafoutis and both to make quiche!
Basic savoury recipes
Seasoning is very important, add salt and pepper of course but consider using herbs and spices which will bring out the flavours of your dish.
These recipes can be made in a pastry or pie dish and serve 4 to 6 people.
Quiche
1 roll of pastry, 4 eggs, 150ml single cream, salt, pepper and herbs.
Clafoutis
2 eggs + 2 extra yolks, 1 tbsp cornflour, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of single cream, salt, pepper and herbs.
Tarte
1 roll of patry, salt, pepper, herbs and a liquid or cream base (mustard, crème fraîche, cream, cream cheese, tomato purée etc) if your topping is completely dry.
Quick and easy pastry recipes
Olive oil pastry
250g flour, 4 tbsp olive oil, a small gkass of water and a pinch of salt.
Mix everything together until you obtain a paste. You can add spices and herbs to your pastry if you want. Can also be used for sweet tarts.
Brisée
250g of flour, 125g of soft butter, a pinch of salt, 1 small glass of water. Mix the flour and salt, add the butter in pieces, knead with your fingers until you obtain a something that resembles semolina. Pour in the water to get a paste (you might not need all of the water).
Classic savoury combinations
- Ham, mushrooms, tomatoes (fresh, chopped or puréed) and cheese
- Tuna, mustard and tomato
- Goat’s cheese and spinach
- Chrizo/ham/tuna, summer vegetables (whole or chopped)
- Cheese, potatoes and bacon/ham
Sweet recipes
- Sweeten your pastry with 25g sugar per 250g flour).
You can also add a creamy base for fruit tarts.
- Sweet clafoutis base:
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks, 60g cornflour, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of liquid cream, 120g sugar, 2 packets of vanilla sugar, a pinch of salt.
Adjust the quantity of sugar for the fruit you use (not too much for fruit in syrup or very sweet fruits).
Pudding
Stale bread to use up? You can use it to make sweet and savoury puddings.
Basic pudding recipe
250g stale bread, 500ml milk, 3 eggs
In a large dish, pour your milk onto the bread and break up using a fork. Add the eggs and your choice of ingredients.
Among the classic ingredients, raisins and other dried fruit are popular as well as brown sugar. Bacon is often used in savoury puddings, as well as hard-boiled eggs.
Cakes
Savoury and sweet versions are both possible. You can even make individual portions in muffin tins/small dishes.
Savoury cake recipe
150g flour, 3 eggs, ½ packet yeast, 1 small glass of oil, 1 glass of milk, 20g butter, a pinch of salt.
Sweet cake recipe
150g flour, 3 eggs, ½ packet yeast, 60g butter, 90g sugar.
Tips
- Don’t use more than 300g of ingredients or your cake will be too heavy.
- Add a few spoonfuls of cream for extra texture
- Don't add too much salt or sugar - some ingredients may already contain a lot.
Other ideas for using the leftovers in your cupboards
If you don’t know what to do with leftover vegetables, try smoothies, gaspacho, or even ratatouille (adapt the recipe to the ingredients you have.)
Turn leftover fruit into puree. If the fruit is damaged just cut off the bad bits.
