“I like to entertain my friends. It could be just four guests who come regularly to eat in the kitchen, or eight in the dining room, when I mix different groups of friends. I vary the menu according to whether my guests are vegetarians, vegans, or carnivores,” says Aurélie Bidermann. See her recipe below …
Serves 8-10
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
3 leeks
Butter for sautéing
1 pack round ready-rolled butter puff pastry
3 eggs
200ml crème fraîche
Good pinch of nutmeg
100g Gruyère, grated
Edible flowers and green vegetables to decorate (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (180°C/Gas Mark 6). Slice the leeks and sauté them in butter until soft. Set aside.
2. Line a tart pan with the pastry, lifting and pinching together the edges of the pastry to form a raised crust.
3. Spread the leeks evenly over the pastry.
4. Beat the eggs with the crème fraîche. Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the leeks and sprinkle with the grated Gruyère.
5. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. When cool, decorate with edible flowers and green vegetables if desired.
From How They Entertain, At Home with the Tastemakers by Pierre Sauvage, published by Flammarion.