Tarte aux fraises, tomates confites et tapenade olives noires
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Eric Sapet is a master, the mixture of these ingredients is certainly not common but the result is excellent. This dessert does have several components but in the end it is not complicated. The mixture of ingredients may seem strange but the result is sublime. Our dish was garnished with vanilla ice cream, which is optional but certainly did not take away from the lovely result.

Ingredients
  • 1 Package Filo pastry or Pate Feuilletee
  • ½ Cup (100g) Melted Butter
  • ¾ Cup (150g) White Sugar
  • 6 Medium Tomatoes, Italian Romas work well
  • 4 Cups (1 Litre) Water
  • 2 Whole Fennel bulbs, chopped
  • ¼ Cup (50g) Olive Oil
  • ⅓ Cup (75g) Black Olive Tapenade
  • 1 Basket Strawberries
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
  1. To make Tomatoes:
  2. Start with the tomatoes, wash and cut in slices of roughly equal sizes
  3. Remove the seeds from the tomato slices
  4. Heat the water with ¼ cup of sugar, the sugar should be dissolved and the water hot but not boiling
  5. Place the tomatoes in the water and cook for a minute
  6. Remove from the water and then return the tomatoes to the water
  7. Repeat twice more (the tomatoes should be bathed three times)
  8. To make the Pastry:
  9. Take one sheet of filo at a time, butter lightly with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar and lightly salt
  10. Place each sheet on top of the last one until you have 5 sheets
  11. Cut 6 circles of approximately 8cm (3 inches) in diameter
  12. Place on a baking sheet with a cooling rack over the top (allows cooking and each circle will rise equally)
  13. Bake in the oven at 320 degrees (160C) until lightly browned
  14. To make the Tapenade:
  15. Cut the fennel bulbs into small pieces
  16. In a heavy pot cook the fennel pieces in a mixture of water, salt, sugar (1/4 cup) and olive oil, until softened and caramelized
  17. Add the tapenade and mix well
  18. The Presentation:
  19. Wash and cut the strawberries
  20. Use half of the strawberries and blend to create a coulis 17. Take one pastry round per dish, place in the bottom
  21. On top of the pastry place two tomato slices
  22. Top with fennel tapenade
  23. Garnish with strawberries and the coulis
Recipe by Ginger and Nutmeg at https://www.gingerandnutmeg.com/2011/10/la-petite-maison-de-cucuron