Recipe 70: Leek & Bacon Feuillettes

Recipe 70: Leek & Bacon Feuillettes

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, finely chopped

8 rashers of rindless, bacon, finely chopped
2 tbsp white wine
4 tbsp double cream
2 sheets of puff pastry

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until soft. Add the bacon and cook for a further 3 minutes until the bacon is cooked but not crispy.
2. Add the white wine and using a wooden spoon, scrape any bits off the base of the pan and stir well. Cook for 1 minute until the liquid has almost completely evaporated, then add the cream and cook, stirring for a further 1 minute until bubbling. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3. On a lightly floured surface, cut out 24 circles from the 2 sheets of pastry, using a pastry cutter. Gently press the pastry circles into the bases of mini-muffin tins.
4. Put 1 tsp of the leek and bacon mixture in each and press down a little so it does not fall out during cooking when the pastry puffs up.
5. Bake the feuillettes for 12 minutes until puffed and lightly golden, then serve.

Recipe 56 & 57: Chicken in a Blanket and Cheese Sauce

Tonight's dinner- have never seen the husbands face so excited when he looked into the oven tonight! Easy to make and definitely a meal. Although you could make each parcel smaller by chopping the bacon and chicken into smaller bite sizes and could use it as a tapas dish.

Chicken in a Blanket

Serves 4

2 chicken breast
4 rashers of bacon (I used middle)
2 sheets puff pastry
200g ricotta cheese (or you could use cottage cheese)

METHOD

1. Slice the chicken breast in half length ways and in a hot pan seal on both sides, remove and allow to cool.
2. Cook the rashers of bacon, remove and allow to cool
3. Once the bacon and chicken are cool, cut the pastry sheets in half diagonally and place 1 slice of bacon, 1 halved chicken breast on top of the bacon and spoon 1 tbsp (50g) of ricotta over the chicken and bacon. Wrap/fold the puff pastry over the chicken and bacon mix.
4. Brush with egg wash  (beat a egg and using a basting brush, brush the pastry with the egg) and bake at 230c for 15 -20 minutes.

Cheese Sauce

50g butter
50g Flour
350ml-400ml milk
300g cheese (about 4 handfuls)

METHOD

1. In a pan, melt the butter and stir in flour - which will make a paste like structure.
2. Slowly pour the milk while stirring constantly until all combined (if you put all the milk in at once you will end up with a lumpy sauce, better to add the milk a little at a time).
3. Add the cheese, again stirring constantly. Add more milk (if needed) to receive the desired sauce consistency.