When you think about French dishes, the first thing that springs to mind might be Cassoulet or Coq-au-vin. However, to their complexity, these are not the dishes you would cook for dinner every day. An easy go-to meal would be a quiche Lorraine or a nice vegetable soup, with a piece of bread and cheese (of course!).
Another often-forgotten alternative option is… the savoury tart! There are unlimited recipes to create your favorite one, the most popular are vegetarian or with tuna. Simple and quick, it is a definite crowd-pleaser. Follow our recipe for a timeless classic, tarte au thon.
What is the difference between a tart and a quiche?
In one word: l’appareil, meaning the filling. The base ingredients of the quiche filling are eggs, milk, and crème fraiche. Without these key ingredients, your quiche becomes a tart.
Feeling hungry now? Here is the recipe for the classic and effortless French Tuna Tart as called in France: Tarte au Thon.
Ingredients
1x sheet of puff pastry – can be found in the frozen section of any supermarket
1x jar of tomato & basil sauce
1x tin of tuna
2x tomatoes
French mustard
Grated cheese – Emmental preferably, but cheddar will work too
Salt & pepper
Herbes de Provence or mixed herbs and black olives (optional)
Instructions
Remove the puff pastry from the freezer to defrost for 10 minutes.
Spread a thin layer of French mustard over the puff pastry sheet.
In a bowl, mix the tuna with the tomato sauce (about half or three quarters of a jar) and spread the mixture on top of the mustard.
Cut the tomatoes into thin slices and arrange them nicely on top of the tart.
Finally, add salt & pepper, grated cheese and the Herbes de Provence and/or the black olives.
Et voilà!
Cook in the oven at 200 degrees for approximately 35 minutes, serve with green leaves and a vinaigrette.
Top tip: cut the tart into small pieces as an amuse-bouche for apéro!
Bon appétit!
Does this whet your appetite to discover more about France? Live, love and learn French at the Alliance Francaise de Melbourne.
Find more about the Alliance Francaise de Melbourne French courses and events by visiting: www.afmelbourne.com.au.
