The Little Paris Kitchen (9 page)

To assemble, preheat the oven to 350°F. Flatten the slices of bread with a rolling pin, then brush each slice on both sides with melted butter. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with the slices of bread, pressing them in with the bottom of a small glass. Divide the ham between the muffin cups followed by the eggs (if the egg seems too big, pour a little of the white away before using). Put 2 tablespoons cheese sauce on top of each egg, then sprinkle with a little cheese and pepper. Bake for 15–20 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs. Serve immediately.

Preparation time: 20 minutes Baking time: 15
–
20 minutes

The Americans have burgers and hot dogs; the English, sandwiches. The French? They have
crêpes
and
galettes
. Originally from Brittany, these thin pancakes have been adopted as the national snack, and tiny booths serving hot disks of doughy goodness can be found on virtually every Parisian street (or so it seems). Order a
crêpe
with a simple sprinkle of sugar, or choose from a list of fillings such as chocolate spread or
crème de marrons
(sweetened chestnut cream)—or try egg, cheese, and ham in a buckwheat pancake. If you're eating them the traditional way, they should be washed down with a glass of Breton cider. See
page 78
for some filling and topping ideas.

MAKES 10–12

For the
crêpes
:
1½ cups all-purpose flour • a pinch of sugar • a pinch of salt • 2 eggs • about 2¼ cups milk • melted butter, for frying

For the
galettes
:
1½ cups buckwheat flour • a pinch of salt • about 2½ cups water • melted butter, for frying

TO MAKE THE
CRÊPES
: Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and crack in the eggs. Gradually mix the ingredients together, adding enough milk for the batter to have the consistency of heavy cream. Don't overmix as this will make rubbery
crêpes
. Refrigerate for a minimum of an hour, or overnight. Before using, stir the batter and add more milk if necessary to give it the consistency of heavy cream (it may have thickened on standing).

TO MAKE THE
GALETTES
:
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and gradually mix in the water, adding only enough for the batter to have the consistency of heavy cream. Don't over-mix as this will make rubbery
galettes
. Refrigerate for a minimum of an hour, or overnight. Before using, whisk again and add more water if necessary.

Heat a 6–7-inch heavy
crêpe
pan and brush with some melted butter. Pour 3–4 tablespoons of the batter into the pan and quickly swirl the pan so the batter covers the whole of the inside. Cook for 1 minute, loosen around the edge with a spatula, then turn over and cook for another minute. Slide out of the pan,
*
then repeat to make 10–12 altogether, greasing the pan with butter in between each one.
**

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Resting time: 1 hour
–
overnight
Cooking time: 30 minutes

To be honest, you could pretty much serve anything with a
crêpe
or
galette
, as long as it's not too liquid. Here are some ideas.

Sweet:
sugar and lemon, chocolate spread, jam, crème fraîche or whipped cream with fresh fruit (especially berries), caramel spread, ice cream

Savory:
cheese, ham or other cooked meats, leftover roast meat, smoked salmon, salad, tomatoes, fried egg, roasted vegetables, mushrooms

• finely grated zest of 1 orange • juice of 2 oranges (about
⅔
cup) •
⅓
cup orange liqueur • ½ cup sugar • 7 tbsp soft butter, cubed • 10–12
Crêpes
(
page 77
)

Put the orange zest and juice into a pan with the liqueur and sugar. Reduce for 15 minutes or until you have a thick, golden syrup.
*
Whisk in a cube of butter at a time, taking care as the hot caramel may splatter.

Fold the warm
crêpes
into quarters and place on a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the
crêpes
and serve immediately.

*
If you prefer the traditional
crêpe Suzette
sauce, just bring the orange zest and juice, liqueur, and sugar to a boil (don't caramelize), then turn off the heat and whisk in the butter
.

Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes

Tartine
comes from the French verb
tartiner
, meaning “to spread.” You
tartine
your topping on a slice of bread or toast, making an open sandwich. Whether it's the classic butter and jam for breakfast or the after-school children's favorite of chocolate squares,
tartine
toppings should remain simple and the bread is just as important as what goes on top—if not more so. Choosing bread in a
boulangerie
can be quite overwhelming. Of course there's the classic baguette, but then there's a whole range of other breads, such as sourdough, whole wheat, and rye, and breads with nuts, figs, and other dried fruit.
Tartines
are all about enjoying the simple pleasure of a good piece of bread or toast with a topping or two.

Each topping is enough for one piece of bread or toast.

Brush the bread or toast with a little extra virgin olive oil. Thinly slice half a pear. Top the bread with the pear and some strips of roast ham.

Spread the bread or toast with some salted butter (alternatively mix 1 tablespoon unsalted butter with some coarse sea salt). Thinly slice several radishes and place on top.

Slice half an avocado. Cut out the segments from a quarter of a grapefruit. Arrange the avocado and grapefruit on the bread or toast. Sprinkle with a little salt and olive oil.

Cut a fig into thin slices and place on the bread. Crumble some goat's cheese on top, followed by a couple of walnuts. Put under the broiler for a minute or two if you like.

Butter the bread with some salted butter. Thinly slice half a small apple. Arrange the apple slices on the bread and sprinkle with sugar. Set under the broiler for a couple of minutes until caramelized, or use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. Works equally well with other fruit such as bananas, plums, and pears.

Spread a generous layer of crème fraîche over the bread or toast. Top with sliced strawberries, a few leaves of mint, a sprinkle of sugar, and a little more crème fraîche.

Put a chocolate bar into the freezer for 10 minutes before grating a generous handful. Brush the bread with some extra virgin olive oil and top with the grated chocolate. Put under the broiler for a couple of minutes for a melted chocolate
tartine
.

Thinly slice half a peach. Top the bread or toast with a few slices of the peach and some Brie cheese.