Savoury Cakes - Rachel Khoo

Whatever about the digital world and the fabulousness of the internet, one of the great bonuses of living in the UK is the affordability of beautiful cookbooks. To celebrate this discovery when I first arrived last year, and jump on the bandwagon of personal-mail-delivered-to-work I ordered Rachel Khoo's 'The Little Paris Kitchen' from Amazon. Somewhat of a sentimental purchase too, as I discovered Rachel in my first couple of weekends in London, watching her BBC season of The Little Paris Kitchen on back to back episodes I when I was too jetlagged and overwhelmed to venture beyond the Holiday Inn Canning Town.

Just checked and you can currently get this online in NZ for between $37-$55NZD

While I have made very few of her recipes so far, this book is a delight to read and devour the photography. Rachel has a great website www.rachelkhoo.com and blog and is a great follow on Instagram (rachelkhooks) as well, inducing not insignificant pangs of I-want-your-life-and-at-the-very-least-your-entire-wardrobe.

Living in France in 2004, I first encountered savoury cakes ('cakes salés'), that featured as an aperitif at drinks parties. Yes, went to quite a few Rotary-related drinks parties. According to Rachel, these cakes now appear frequently as a light lunch menu with a side salad and are great for picnics. A really good use of leftovers too, which is what lead me to having a go.


Page 109: 'Cake au saucisson sec avec pistaches et prunes'

Cured sausage, pistachio and prune cake - customised

250g plain flour
15g baking powder (I used 3 tsp)
150g French sausage or salami (leave out for vege option - I used a combo of olives, goat cheese and chopped fresh seed-free tomato flesh to make up the weight. Mixed cheese-only would be great)
80g pistachios, roughly chopped (I used chopped almonds)
100g prunes, roughly chopped
4 eggs
100ml milk
150ml olive oil
50g plain yogurt (about 1/4 cup)
1 tsp salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 180. Line a medium sized loaf tin.

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, sausage (equivalent), nuts and prunes.
2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs until thick. Gradually whisk in milk, oil, yogurt, then add salt and pepper.
3. Fold the flour mix into the wet mix gradually, taking care not to over-mix.
4. Pour into tin. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave in tin to cool.
5. Serve cold, cut into generous doorstop slices. A wine in hand wouldn't go astray.

Next time - prunes and tomato were a bit of a strange mix which is why I have suggested that all-cheese would be great with the nuts and prunes, if you want to leave out meat.

I am looking forward to the release of Rachel Khoo's next book, in October in the UK. Titled  My Little French Kitchen, it will apparently showcase recipes from outside the confines of her mini Parisian kitchen.



The Whitechapel version