ProvenÇal Tart With Artichokes And Prosciutto Recipes

PROVENçAL TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, put the flour in a bowl with the butter, then rub together to resemble breadcrumbs. Stir in the basil, oregano and sundried tomatoes, then pour in the olive oil and about 4 tbsp cold water to make a soft dough (it will be a bit softer than regular pastry). Wrap in cling film and chill for one hour.
• While the pastry is chilling, make the sauce. Halve, seed, then dice the peppers and reserve half for the filling. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, oregano and peppers and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers start to soften. Tip in the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer over a medium heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until reduced to a thick sauce. Stir frequently so it doesn't stick. Season well and set aside to cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/ gas 6. For the filling, line a baking sheet with parchment or greaseproof paper, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil and lay the aubergines slices over it. Drizzle the rest of the oil over the top - it seems a lot, but it all gets soaked up - then scatter with the dried basil and some salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the slices look golden, and are tender when poked with a knife.
• Roll out the pastry to a circle, about 40cm, and use to line a 28cm fluted flan tin (preferably loose-bottomed). Bend the pastry over the edges and trim with scissors so you have a 1-2cm overhang. Put the tin on a baking sheet. Prick the pastry base, brush it with egg if you wish to give a crisper crust, and bake blind for 10 minutes (there's no need for baking beans).
• Spread the sauce evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Lay the aubergines on top, then the sliced tomatoes and a good handful of chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Now scatter with the reserved peppers and olives, then the grated cheeses, right up to the edges.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Let the tart cool a little, then trim off the pastry edges with a sharp knife for a neat finish.

PROVENçAL ARTICHOKE RAGOUT

Steps:

• How to trim artichokes: Fill a bowl with water, and add the juice of 1/2 lemon. Cut the stems off the artichokes, and with a sharp knife, cut away the tops - about 1/2 inch from the top for baby artichokes, 1 inch for larger artichokes. Rub the cut parts with the other half of the lemon. Break off the tough outer leaves until you reach the lighter green leaves near the middle. With a paring knife, trim the bottom of the bulb right above the stem by holding the knife at an angle and cutting around the artichoke, until you reach the light flesh beneath the tough bottoms of the leaves. Cut small baby artichokes in half, or large artichokes into quarters, and cut away the chokes if the artichokes are mature. Immediately place in the bowl of acidulated water.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet or casserole over medium heat, and add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring, until tender, about three to five minutes. Add the red pepper and about 1/4 teaspoon salt, and stir together for three to five minutes until the pepper begins to soften. Add the garlic, and stir together for another minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes and a little more salt, and cook, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant. Add the artichokes, thyme, bay leaf and enough water to cover the artichokes halfway, and bring to a simmer. Add salt and pepper, then cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until the artichokes are tender and the sauce fragrant. Check from time to time and add water if necessary. Add the lemon juice, taste and adjust salt and pepper.

ROASTED ARTICHOKE HEARTS PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the artichoke hearts, olives, capers, orange zest, tomatoes and garlic with the wine, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until the tomatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer to a platter, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with more salt and top with the basil.

ARTICHOKES PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Cook 1/2 chopped onion, 2 chopped garlic cloves and a pinch of salt in a skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 5 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup white wine and reduce by half. Add 2 chopped tomatoes, two 9-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts, 3 tablespoons water, 1 strip lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, 6 minutes. Stir in chopped olives, basil and salt and pepper.

PROVENÇAL TART WITH ARTICHOKES AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven 400 F. Line a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper. Cut puff pastry along folded lines (if using different puff pastry, slice into rectangular pieces about 4-6 inches wide and as long as will fit on baking tray). Place each piece about 1-2 inches apart on baking tray. Prick dough all over with a fork so pastry does not rise. Spread cheese over dough, making sure to go all the way to the edge of the dough. Place toppings, garlic and herbs in a bowl and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Top cheese pastry with topping mixture and place in oven and bake until puff pastry is golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Slice each tart into 1 1/2 inch strips and serve.

ARTICHOKE-PROSCIUTTO GRATIN

Steps:

• Pat quartered artichoke hearts dry with paper towels. Cut each prosciutto slice crosswise in half. Wrap each artichoke heart quarter in halved prosciutto slice. Place wrapped artichoke hearts in single layer in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour cream over. Sprinkle with Gorgonzola, pine nuts, Parmesan, and sage. Bake until gratin is bubbling and sauce thickens, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

FARFALLE WITH ARTICHOKES AND PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Cook farfalle in salted water according to the package instructions. Drain well.
• Trim and rinse zucchini and mushrooms. Cut zucchini into thin strips. Cut mushrooms into slices. Peel onion and chop finely.
• Drain artichokes and cut in half. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and add the mushrooms, zucchini and onion. Sauté briefly and pour in broth. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add olives and artichokes and season with salt and pepper.
• Add farfalle and cook briefly until warmed through. Stir in the prosciutto. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the pasta and serve garnished with basil leaves.

CHICKEN PROVENçAL WITH OLIVES & ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Tip the chicken into a large bowl or dish and add the garlic, wine, 2 tbsp oil and the thyme. Season with 2 tbsp flaky salt and mix well until completely coated. Cover and chill for at least a few hours, but preferably overnight.
• Heat grill to high. Arrange the plum tomatoes on a tray, cut-side up, drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and grill for 15 mins, or until charred. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole dish or flameproof roasting tin. Scrape the marinade off the chicken pieces back into the bowl and fry the chicken in batches for about 15 mins until the skin is golden and crisp - watch out, the oil has a tendency to sputter. Remove the chicken from the dish and pour off the oil. Place the dish back on the heat, add the tomato purée and cook for 2 mins, then add the herbs, fennel seeds, remaining marinade and chicken stock. Bring up to the boil, add the grilled tomatoes, then simmer gently for 20 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Nestle the chicken pieces back into the dish, then stir them in to coat in the sauce. Scatter over the celery, button onions and artichokes. Bring up to a simmer, pop the lid on, then transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hr. Remove the lid and stir in the olives. Season to taste and leave everything to settle for 15 mins before serving straight from the dish.