As a recovering perfectionist who likes to host folks however typically struggles to restrain myself from Doing The Most At all times All The Time, I’ve just lately made it a objective to really take pleasure in my very own events. This implies unabashedly delegating duties to prepared associates, showering an hour sooner than I believe I ought to (this one is vital), and accepting the thought of doing much less within the food and drinks division.
What does “doing much less” appear like for me? My technique nowadays is to set out store-bought issues I genuinely love and make them really feel just a little fancy (like chip tower!). Then I spend money on making one showstopper dish that gained’t put me out however nonetheless feels inventive. That showstopper nearly at all times entails frozen puff pastry, aka a celebration in a field. It’s simple to work with, much less scary than do-it-yourself pastry dough, and nonetheless a complete drama queen, browning and puffing to disclose infinite flaky layers.
This season, my puff-pastry-based snack is tarte soleil, a stop-you-in-your-tracks tart of pull-apart twists full of a savory veggie filling. I first discovered about this French dish from my good friend Sarah Jampel, who developed a spanakopita-inspired one once we labored collectively at Bon Appétit. My model takes its taste cue from one other traditional celebration dish: spinach-artichoke dip. It comes collectively merely with grocery store elements, and the tip result’s festive and spectacular. Most vital, tarte soleil tells you precisely easy methods to eat it — the tacky twists scream, “Pull me!”
Spinach-Artichoke Tarte Soleil
Serves 6 to eight
Puff pastry manufacturers range by way of weight and the variety of sheets in a bundle. In case your field of puff pastry comes with a single sheet that’s nearer to 14 oz., you possibly can both purchase two packages and make a bigger tarte, or reduce the only sheet in half and roll out every sheet to get two 9” or 10” rounds out of it. Your tarte might be just a little smaller however no much less scrumptious.
All-purpose flour (for dusting)
2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3 oz. bundle, corresponding to Pepperidge Farm), thawed within the fridge in a single day
1 10-oz. bundle frozen spinach, thawed
1 14-oz. can artichokes or 1 10-oz. bundle frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
½ 5.2-oz. Boursin Garlic and High-quality Herbs cheese (snack on the opposite half!)
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped dill
2 tsp. lemon zest
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Black pepper
1 massive egg
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
Mud a sheet of parchment paper with flour. Gently roll out one puff pastry sheet, dusting with just a little extra flour as wanted to forestall sticking, into a really skinny 13”x13” sq.. Slide the parchment sheet with pastry onto a baking sheet and place within the freezer when you roll out the second sheet of pastry on one other sheet of parchment paper. Slide the second parchment of pastry onto the identical baking sheet and return to the freezer for five minutes to agency up.
Place one of many chilled pastry sheets, nonetheless on parchment, on a piece floor. Place a 12-inch pot lid, plate, or different spherical object on prime of pastry and use a small sharp knife to hint out a circle. Put aside the pastry scraps (you need to use them to patch up any tears within the pastry). Switch the pastry spherical on its parchment again to the baking sheet and return to the freezer when you repeat with the second pastry sheet. As soon as each rounds are reduce out, return to the freezer to agency up when you make the filling.
Collect the thawed spinach and the artichokes in a big clear tea towel or a number of layers of cheesecloth and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze out each final little bit of liquid like your life is dependent upon it (it will make sure the baked pastry doesn’t get soggy and stays gentle and crisp). Finely chop the squeezed spinach and artichokes and switch to a mixing bowl. Add the Boursin, Parmesan, dill, lemon zest, and salt and mash along with a spatula to mix. Season with pepper.
Beat the egg and 1 tsp. water in a small bowl till blended. Brush some egg wash throughout the sides of one of many pastry rounds, nonetheless on parchment. Evenly unfold the spinach-artichoke combination over, leaving a ½” border. Place the second pastry spherical on prime and gently press to seal. Use a small glass (a shot glass or cocktail jigger works completely) to make an indent within the middle of the pastry. Taking care to not reduce by means of the indent, reduce the pastry into 4 quarters, then reduce every quarter into 4 skinny wedges (it is best to have 16 “rays” of pastry emanating out from the middle circle). Slide the complete parchment sheet onto the baking sheet and refrigerate tarte for quarter-hour.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Working with one wedge at a time, gently draw back from the middle and twist three or 4 instances. Brush throughout with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and bake till puffed and deep golden brown throughout, 30-35 minutes. Serve heat.
Do forward: You may assemble the tart the evening earlier than by means of the stage the place you chop out all 16 wedges, however earlier than you twirl them into twists. Cowl the tart with plastic wrap, refrigerate in a single day. The following day, twist the wedges, brush with egg wash, and bake.
Christina Chaey is a former senior meals editor at Bon Appétit and now the editor of Light Meals, a e-newsletter about cooking the way you wish to really feel. You may comply with her on Instagram, if you happen to’d like. She lives in Brooklyn together with her accomplice and a really loud, toothless cat.
P.S. A simple, nostalgic appetizer and the perfect celebration snack of all time.
(Pictures by Christina.)
