Salmon, mozarella and tomatoes tart

Yet another proposition for a tart. This time with ready made pastry to save some time. My previous tart ideas can be found here. It can be served both hot and cold.

You'll need:
puff pie pastry
4 eggs
100ml cream
6 mozarella slices
100g of smoked salmon
3 tomatoes
dill
white pepper

1. Butter a flan dish, roll out the pastry and fit into the dish. Make some holes in the dough with a fork, cover with oven paper and put rice or beans on top so that the pastry does not grow when put in the oven.
2. Put in the oven set to 175 degrees for 10 minutes.
3. Pour hot water over the tomatoes and remove the skin. To make the task easier make two small perpendicular cuts on the bottom of each tomato.
4. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces, slice the salmon and mozarella.
5. Chop some dill.
6. Break the eggs and put in a bowl. Add cream and stir vigorously with a fork.
7. Add the dill and some pepper to the mixture and stir again.
8. Remove the pastry from the oven. Remove the paper with the beans/rice.
9.  Put the tomatoes on top of the dough. Pour the eggs and cream mixture all over them.
10. Put the  mozarella and salmon slices on top and put back in the oven for around 15 minutes or until the egg mixture sets, et voila!.

Bon appétit!

PS. Based on a recipe by Pascal, slightly amended.

Duck breasts with cranberry-orange sauce

Simply perfect regardless of whether you are planning a huge celebration or simply want to treat yourself to something exceptionally good. It takes some time though as it needs to stay in the marinade for at least a night.

You'll need:

6 duck breasts

For the marinade:
8 spoons of port or wiśniówka (= "cherry cordial", i.e. cherry flavoured vodka)
4 spoons of red wine vinegar
6 spoons of cranberry jam
4 spoons of honey
1 tea spoon of brown sugar
1 tea spoon of freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
150g of cranberry jam
zest from one orange
juice from one orange
4 spoons of honey
cinnamon
gingerbread spice
a little bit of red wine (optional)

1. Start with preparing the marinade. Put the ingredients in a small pot, stir and warm up on the hob. Allow the marinade to simmer for a few minutes, so that the flavours mix and the sauce achieves a nice smooth consistency.
2. While the marinade is cooling down prepare the duck. Wipe each breast in a dry cloth and then make perpendicular cuts into the fat skin side. Put in a bowl or a plastic bag and add the marinade. Make sure that  the duck is covered in the marinade. Leave in the fridge for 24h (or at least a night).
3. Remove the brests from the marinade and fry on a hot pan. Start with the fatty side. Make sure the fat side fries well (it should start to have a brownish fried colour).
4. Put the duck breasts in an oven dish and add some of the marinade back. Put in the oven set for 180 degrees for 30-50 minutes depending on how well-cooked you want it to be. For medium-rare effect around 25 minutes should suffice.
5. In the meantime you can prepare the sauce. Pour some hot water over an orange and zest it. Then, squeeze the juice from the orange.
6. Add all of the sauce ingredients (except for wine) into a small pot and simmer till the sauce reduces.
7. Add a bit of red wine towards the end of the process (optional).

Bon appétit!