This meal can be made easier by preparing both the soup and tart the night before. It was a bit tricky to ensure everything was hot at the right times but hey, it's a learning curve.
Delia Smith was my saviour, providing all recipes I used. On the menu was:
Soupe à l'oignon gratinée (onion soup)
Saumon au four & gratin dauphinois (baked salmon and dauphinoise potatoes)
Ingredients for 6 people:
700g onions, thinly sliced
2 gloves garlic, crushed
50g butter
2tbsp oil
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1.2 litres vegetable stock
275ml dry white wine
Salt and pepper
To serve
6 large croûtons
225 gruyère cheese, grated
1. First make the croûtons – begin by drizzling the olive oil on to a large, solid baking-sheet, add the crushed garlic and then, using your hands, spread the oil and garlic all over the baking sheet.
2. Now place the bread slices on top of the oil, then turn over each one so that both sides have been lightly coated with the oil. Bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes till crispy and crunchy.
3. Next place the saucepan or casserole on a high heat and melt the oil and butter together. When this is very hot, add the onions, garlic and sugar, and keep turning them from time to time until the edges of the onions have turned dark – this will take about 6 minutes. Then reduce the heat to its lowest setting and leave the onions to carry on cooking very slowly for about 30 minutes, by which time the base of the pan will be covered with a rich, nut brown, caramelised film. After that, pour in the stock and white wine, season, then stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the base of the pan well.
4. As soon as it all comes up to simmering point, turn down the heat to its lowest setting, then go away and leave it to cook very gently, without a lid, for about 1 hour.
5. All this can be done in advance but, when you're ready to serve the soup, bring it back up to simmering point, taste to check for seasoning.
6. Warm the tureen or soup bowls in a low oven and pre-heat the grill to its highest setting. Then ladle in the hot soup and top with the croutons, allowing them to float on the top of the soup. Now sprinkle the grated Gruyère thickly over the croutons and place the whole lot under the grill until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.
The soup started to either evaporate or be absorbed by the croûtons, so don't leave it under the grill for too long!
Gratin dauphinois (Dauphinoise potatoes)
Ingredients for 3-4 people:
450g potatoes (Edwards or Desirée is good)
1 small glove garlic, crushed
150ml double cream
150ml milk
Nutmeg
25g butter
Recipe:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C.
2. Grease a 21cm oval, shallow gratin dish.
3. First, peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly, then plunge the slices into a bowl of cold water and swill them round to get rid of some of the starch.
Here comes the best bit...
4. Dry your potato slices in a clean tea towel (this step felt the closest to maternal I've ever been).
Then in the gratin dish arrange a layer of potato slices, a sprinkling of crushed garlic, pepper and salt and then another layer of potatoes and seasoning.
5. Now, mix the cream and milk together. Pour the mixture over the potatoes, sprinkle over a little nutmeg and add the butter in flecks over the surface. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Saumon au four (Baked salmon)
I created this recipe myself, adding flavours which I hoped would taste nice together. The result was very delicious!
Ingredients for 4 people:
4 salmon fillets, boned
2tbsp soy sauce
1 lime, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1tbsp honey
1 garlic clove, crushed
Parsley
Salt and pepper
Recipe:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C.
2. In a bowl add together all the ingredients (apart from the salmon...) and mix well.
3. Arrange the salmon in an ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce/marinade you've just made and leave to infuse for 15 minutes (or longer if you have time).
4. Lightly cover the dish with tin foil and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the salmon is cooked to your liking.
Tarte tatin (apple tart) - adapted from Delia Smith simply because my container was too small...
Ingredients for 4-6 people:
Shortcrust pastry, made with 110g plain flour and 50g butter (more info here)
110g dark brown sugar
1tsp powdered cinnamon
450g Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Recipe:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Grease a 20cm cake tin and place a circle of greaseproof paper on the base.
3. Cover the base of the prepared tin with brown sugar and press it down well. Sprinkle on the cinnamon. Now arrange the sliced apples neatly, making sure they're pressed well down.
4. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of approx. 1cm and cut out a circle that will fit the top of the tin. Cover the apples with the pastry, pressing it down gently. Place it in the centre of the oven for 40 mins.
5. When the tart has cooled, loosen round the edges, cover with a plate and carefully turn it upside down, then remove the tin and greaseproof paper.
Alice
2. Now place the bread slices on top of the oil, then turn over each one so that both sides have been lightly coated with the oil. Bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes till crispy and crunchy.
3. Next place the saucepan or casserole on a high heat and melt the oil and butter together. When this is very hot, add the onions, garlic and sugar, and keep turning them from time to time until the edges of the onions have turned dark – this will take about 6 minutes. Then reduce the heat to its lowest setting and leave the onions to carry on cooking very slowly for about 30 minutes, by which time the base of the pan will be covered with a rich, nut brown, caramelised film. After that, pour in the stock and white wine, season, then stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the base of the pan well.
4. As soon as it all comes up to simmering point, turn down the heat to its lowest setting, then go away and leave it to cook very gently, without a lid, for about 1 hour.
5. All this can be done in advance but, when you're ready to serve the soup, bring it back up to simmering point, taste to check for seasoning.
6. Warm the tureen or soup bowls in a low oven and pre-heat the grill to its highest setting. Then ladle in the hot soup and top with the croutons, allowing them to float on the top of the soup. Now sprinkle the grated Gruyère thickly over the croutons and place the whole lot under the grill until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.
 |
| Look at all that melted cheese!! |
Gratin dauphinois (Dauphinoise potatoes)
Ingredients for 3-4 people:
450g potatoes (Edwards or Desirée is good)
1 small glove garlic, crushed
150ml double cream
150ml milk
Nutmeg
25g butter
Recipe:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C.
2. Grease a 21cm oval, shallow gratin dish.
3. First, peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly, then plunge the slices into a bowl of cold water and swill them round to get rid of some of the starch.
Here comes the best bit...
4. Dry your potato slices in a clean tea towel (this step felt the closest to maternal I've ever been).
Then in the gratin dish arrange a layer of potato slices, a sprinkling of crushed garlic, pepper and salt and then another layer of potatoes and seasoning.
5. Now, mix the cream and milk together. Pour the mixture over the potatoes, sprinkle over a little nutmeg and add the butter in flecks over the surface. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Saumon au four (Baked salmon)
I created this recipe myself, adding flavours which I hoped would taste nice together. The result was very delicious!
Ingredients for 4 people:
4 salmon fillets, boned
2tbsp soy sauce
1 lime, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1tbsp honey
1 garlic clove, crushed
Parsley
Salt and pepper
Recipe:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C.
2. In a bowl add together all the ingredients (apart from the salmon...) and mix well.
3. Arrange the salmon in an ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce/marinade you've just made and leave to infuse for 15 minutes (or longer if you have time).
4. Lightly cover the dish with tin foil and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the salmon is cooked to your liking.
 |
| I've got dauphinoise potatoes to my left, salmon to my right. |
When serving, pour any remaining sauce over the fish.
Tarte tatin (apple tart) - adapted from Delia Smith simply because my container was too small...
Ingredients for 4-6 people:
Shortcrust pastry, made with 110g plain flour and 50g butter (more info here)
110g dark brown sugar
1tsp powdered cinnamon
450g Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Recipe:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Grease a 20cm cake tin and place a circle of greaseproof paper on the base.
3. Cover the base of the prepared tin with brown sugar and press it down well. Sprinkle on the cinnamon. Now arrange the sliced apples neatly, making sure they're pressed well down.
4. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of approx. 1cm and cut out a circle that will fit the top of the tin. Cover the apples with the pastry, pressing it down gently. Place it in the centre of the oven for 40 mins.
5. When the tart has cooled, loosen round the edges, cover with a plate and carefully turn it upside down, then remove the tin and greaseproof paper.
 |
| Quite proud of the results! |
This certainly took a while to prepare but I really enjoyed making it and I hope you will do. Bon appétit !
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