A tart recipe right for a warm summer’s night. Coating shrimps in the endives caramel sauce
In the US endives are called Belgian endives and are used mostly raw for dips and in salads. That’s a pity as there is a more delicious side to endives. In France, they are roasted or braised which eliminates bitterness and brings out a light caramel sweetness. As such they become an ideal sidekick to roast meats or cheeses.
Yield: 4 – 6 servings
Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet of puff pastry large enough to cover a 10 inch (24 cm) tart pan
- 3 medium endives cut into quarters
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup (170 g) shrimps, peeled, deveined
- 1/2 cup (115 g) blue cheese crumbled or Emmenthaler grated
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) crème fraîche
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Roll the puff pastry out to fit your pan. Press pastry against the edges of the pan and cut-off any excess pastry hanging over. Prick puff pastry bottom with a fork. Cover pastry with parchment paper and fill it with pastry weights or beans. Bake it blind for 8-10 minutes. Remove weights and paper and let it cool.
While the pastry is baking, heat butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Take care not to let the butter burn. Adjust heat if necessary. Add endives cut-side down. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and sauté them until they start getting brown on the edges and caramelize. Add a bit of water to liquefy the caramelized butter. Turn endives and continue cooking until they are translucent for about 10 minutes. Set endives on kitchen paper to drain and cool off.
Using the same saucepan, coat shrimps with the residual caramel in the bottom of the pan over low heat. Turn shrimps quickly and as soon as they start to lose the rawness set them aside. Arrange endives on the bottom of the pastry shell-like the spokes of a wheel. Arrange shrimp in between the endives. Sprinkle blue cheese or Emmenthaler on top of the endives and shrimp.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, crème fraîche, heavy cream, salt, and pepper until well blended. Pour egg mixture evenly over the endives and shrimps, taking care not to disturb the design. Sprinkle parsley on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the tart center is firm. Let it cool before slicing.
