My French pastry baking class

I know we are coming to the end of the week, but guess what I did last weekend! You obviously thinking: “of course it is going to be a French pastry course, since you have written that on the title”! Yes yes… that is exactly what I did and it’s because I wanted to face my fear and finally be able to bake all these complicated pastries (especially puff pastry since it is more time consuming than I thought). Our tutor Pino Ficara taught us to bake Praline Mille Feuille (Napaleon Pastry)…

…Chocolate Eclair, Madeleine…

… and Creme Brulle….hmmm!

I was particularly happy to see savory option there as after all this sweet I felt a little too overwhelmed (I had cake before the class – really bad idea). Here it comes….

“PISSALADIERE” OR SAVORY PASTRY TART

Ingredients: 250g puff pastry
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 courgette, quartered and sliced
1 aubergine, quartered and sliced
1 red pepper,  cut into julienne
oil, butter, salt, sugar, pepper

1. Pre-cook vegetables: in deep pot over low heat add butter and olive oil, add onions, pinch of salt and about 1 tablespoon of sugar. Let onion cook gently without coloration, remove onto tray lined with foil and let cool.
2. In a oven tray add enough oil to barely cover bottom and over medium heat cook all the vegetables separately until tender. let it cool.
3. Preheat the oven at 200C. Roll puff pastry into square, place on the tray lined with baking paper and with a fork prick dough well to prevent it from puffing too high when cooking.
4. Place cooled onion onto ready pastry,

then arrange the other cooked vegetables.

Brush the sides with the egg yolk for the glaze…