Random and Moreish - Salami (and Chorizo!!) Tarts

 

 

This was the worst and best possible recipe that could have revealed itself for this month's Random Recipe Challenge, hosted by Dom over at Belleau Kitchen.  The best, because I have been rather short of time lately, which I fear is a prelude to my returning to work full time from September when I will have hardly any time at all, and this recipe is, literally, 20 minutes from start to finish. The drawback is that they are so moreish and lasted a matter of minutes as they were slyly snaffled from the worktop by passing Lolas, Finns and Phills... and me. Y'see, this is the thing with appetisers, which is what I suppose these things are - I can't stop at one or two and even if I as at some swanky 'do' somewhere where I had a glass of something white and chilled in one hand, I would still have one hand free to pick and to keep picking at these tasty little morsels...

 

 

 

Anyway, the 30th random recipe challenge was to pick your thirtieth cookbook off the shelf and turn to page 30. The thirtieth book was 'Totally Simple Food' by Jill Dupleix and page 30 had a picture of the aforementioned tarts. The recipe was on page 31 so you'll have to allow me a little wriggle room on that one.

 

 

 

The book...

 

 

 

The recipe...

 

I am a great fan of Jill Dupleix's food. There isn't a recipe that I haven't tried without success. This, though simple, is really no exception to that rule. And as I like a little variety in life, I tried these with slices of chorizo and they equally good if not better, with all that paprika oiliness seeping into crisp puff pastry. Yum, frankly.

 

Salami Tarts, adapted from 'Totally Simple Food by Jill Dupleix

Makes 10 (of the salami tarts - 15 ish of the chorizo tarts)

 

Ingredients:

 

500g of puff pastry, either ready rolled or rolled out yourself.

12 slices salami, about 6cm in diameter, or about 15 slices of chorizo, or a bit of both.

1 egg, beaten

200g Swiss chard leaves (I omitted this)

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (...and this)

sea salt (...and this)

freshly ground black pepper (...and this!)

A handful of pitted mixed olives (my addition)

Method:

 

Preheat the oven to 200c/Gas 6

 

 

 

Roll out the pastry quite thinly.

 

Prepare the salami slices, by taking the skin off if you need to (or just taking them out of the packet!)

 

 

 

Place one salami slice on the pastry and cut around it, leaving about a centimetre border around the salami slice. You can then use this as your template for cutting out the other circles.

 

 

 

Brush each pastry round with beaten egg and top with a slice of salami (or chorizo).

 

Bake for 10 minutes until the pastry borders and puffed and golden. Transfer to a wire rack. They will crispen up as they cool.

 

If you are using the Swiss chard, wash it well and place it in a saucepan with just the water clinging to the leaves. Cover and cook over a high heat, tossing occasionally until it begins to wilt and the juices evaporate. Set aside to cool and squeeze out the excess water. Toss in olive oil with sea salt and lots of black pepper.

 

Chorizo!

Chorizo!

 

Serve the tarts slightly warm, or at room temperature, with the chard topping each tart or else do what I did - add a few olives and open a bottle of Spanish wine!