Curry Seafood Tartelettes
It’s busy at work these days and if my posts seem rushed and/or don’t make any sense it’s mainly because i start to blog when the rest of my fellow New-Yorkers go to sleep. You should see me in the morning. I’m a danger to myself. Yes, it’s a busy time of the year for chefs and the only perks for working such long hours is the calories we burn. The more we burn, the more we can eat. That’s the good news, my friends.
Since i like keeping the score i decided that i deserve some kind of tasty allowance for every hour of overtime spent on my two feet. Today it was a seafood tartelette. As a matter of fact I went a little overboard and had two of these suckers as a snack. What can i say, i can’t resist anything doughy and custardy, sweet or savory. I think i’m gonna hold-off on the writing of that “Zen” diet cookbook for now.
I was flipping through the pages of Michel Roux “Pastry” cookbook the other day and came across the picture of inspiring little curried seafood tartelettes. So i thought to myself: “Hey zenchef, you can do this too!” . So i improvised a little bit on the recipe and played with a variety of seafood and i thought it came out nicely.
Serve one with salad for a light lunch… or two without salad as a heavy snack.
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Curry Seafood Tartelettes
- adapted from Michel Roux “Pastry”
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- Serves 6
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For the pate brisee:
- 1 3/4 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (150g) butter, cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pinch of sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tablespoon cold milk
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For the curry seafood tartelette:
- 24 mussels, cleaned
- 12 cockles, cleaned
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 12 bay scallops, cleaned (or use regular scallops)
- 6 shrimp, cleaned
- seaweed (optional)
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 medium egg
- 1 medium egg yolk
- salt & pepper, to taste
- Heap the flour on a counter and make a well. Put the butter, salt, sugar, and egg. Using your fingers, mix those ingredients together.
- Draw in the flour, working the dough delicately until it has a grainy texture. Add the milk and incorporate until the dough begins to hold together.
- Work the dough until smooth. Roll it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until ready to use.
- Roll-out the dough and line 6 individual tart pans. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350′F. Prick the pastry shell bases. Line the shells with aluminum foil and fill with dry beans or pie weight. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and foil. Bake for another 10 minutes. Set aside.
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For the curry seafood tartelettes:
- Put the mussels, cockles, wine, and shallot in a large pan, cover tightly, and cook over high heat for 2 or 3 minutes until the mussels have opened (remove as they open). Take them out of their shell. Set aside.
- Split the shrimp in half and cook lightly in the clam juice. Remove and reserve the shrimp and add the curry powder. Bring to a boil. Strain and reserve the liquid. You should have 4-5 tablespoons.
- In a bowl, mix the cream, egg, egg yolk and reserved curry juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Arrange the mussels, cockles, bay scallops and shrimp evenly on the baked shells. Top with seaweed (if using) and pour the curry mixture over the seafood in the tart shells. Bake for 20 minutes or until set. Serve with a salad warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
For the pate brisee:
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November 19th, 2009 at 2:11 am
Tiens je reconnais les moules sur la photo. Heu, pas les moules dans les tartelettes, les moules autour
je ne connais aucune moule, que ce soit bien clair.
November 19th, 2009 at 2:16 am
Good lord man, you’ve really outdone yourself on this one Stephane. Who do I have to bribe to get one of these?
November 19th, 2009 at 3:03 am
My gosh, this dish is sexy. But your starting to make the rest of the chef’s out there look really bad. I might need to pay New York a visit soon to get my hands on one of these delights.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:17 am
You always have the best little special pans.
I love making tarts, and may attempt these.
Very lovely! Don’t hurt yourself!
November 19th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Wow! This looks scrumptious! Et les photos sont vraiment magnifiques comme d’habitude.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:11 am
This is just so wonderful. I love the first and third photograph. Very colorful and the bokeh has added an amazing effect. As you may know because of that the in-focus Tartelettes pop up and invite the reader to grab it. Wonderfully done
November 19th, 2009 at 11:26 am
you are such a joy to follow, fabulous food and outrageous photos… heavy sigh of contentment!
November 19th, 2009 at 11:26 am
God. How unsofisticated are my snacks: dried fruits, yogurt, or an apple…
I could totally eat your tartelettes for lunch, though!
November 19th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I think I might steal this recipe for our next catering event. The tart looks delicious! I think you deserve another tart for typing this post, since it burns a calorie per word.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Only 2?? Come on! That’s not a heavy snack,
November 19th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Awww and to think that I was looking forward to that Zen Diet Cookbook. Oh well, I’m not bothered at all.
I know this is your busy time but take some time to really relax in between. In other words, spend the time chilling and not filling it with stuff to do.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
These tartelettes look fantastic! The photos are gorgeous!
November 19th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Woo Hoo! Yours is the site I come visit to get my eye-candy fix. Fine work.
Thank you for sharing the goodness.
November 19th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Wow! Your photos are stunning, and this tartlette looks delish! I’ll keep you in mind for the next meet-up. This past one was organized by Jen of Tiny Urban Kitchen.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:15 am
These look fantastic and yummy chef zen, xxxx gloria
November 20th, 2009 at 11:56 am
whoa! frenchman! zen can cook indeed. I love that this brisee has milk in it-I’ve done that before and much prefer it. Where did you get your round tart pans from? I have a hard time finding them w/out the annoying edges–I just want plain round.
J’aime ces et de l’amour de votre talent.
(did I say that right? my french is weak)
November 20th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
that last photo just about did me in. I could almost taste it. I love savoury tarts! will have to try making this one!
November 20th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
It’s a quiche right?
November 20th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Wow, those look delicious, and your photos are lovely!
November 21st, 2009 at 6:20 am
Those look scrummy! I woulda gone for the whole lot. dangerous!
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:20 am
OMG–I might actually be able to make this one
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Zen! Hope you get to relax a little
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
love the addition of the curry. love. it. and the day you start even THINKING about the word diet is the day i never come back here! please, don’t ever!
November 24th, 2009 at 3:19 am
I want I want.
November 24th, 2009 at 11:26 am
ur so sexy. i love everything you cook. so when do i come back to NY and chow with you!!?
November 28th, 2009 at 3:46 am
Uh, yeah, I imagine if you had to tell yourself “I can do this too!” each time you flipped through a cookbook it’d take you forever and a throat lozenge to get through one
I expect my personal tart to greet me next time we meet, yes? (kidding!)