MELTED PROVOLONE SALSA SAUCE

Preparation: 15 mins

Cooking time: 7 mins

For 6 people

INGREDIENTS

• 3 provolone balls (a semi-hard moulded Italian cheese)
• 2 pinches dried oregano
• 1 pinch Cayenne or Espelette pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 red onion
• 1 bunch of coriander
• 1 pinch of mild or smoked paprika
• 20 ml water
• 70 ml olive oil
• 50 ml white vinegar
• Salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1 farmhouse loaf cut into slices

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) (gas mark 6). Make the sauce: Peel and finely slice the onions. Wash the tomatoes and pepper and cut them into small dice. Wash and chop the coriander. In a large bowl, mix the diced vegetables, onion and coriander. Add the oil, vinegar, water, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Cut the provolone cheese into thick slices and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with oregano and the Cayenne or Espelette pepper. Place in the oven for about seven minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately with the slices of bread and salsa sauce.

CHEESE PUFFS WITH GRUYERE CREAM

Preparation: 10 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

For 6 people  

INGREDIENTS

• 225 g grated gruyère
• 2 tbsp mascarpone
• 4 tbsp chopped chives
• 24 unfilled pastry cheese puffs pepper

PREPARATION

Melt the mascarpone in a saucepan over low heat. Add the gruyère, stirring continuously to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Season with pepper and leave to cool. Mix in the chives. Cut the tops off the cheese puffs and fill them with the gruyère cream.

BLINIS WITH SALMON EGGS

Preparation: 30 mins

Resting time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

For 6 people (12 blinis)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pots smooth yoghurt
• 250 g flour
• 1 egg
• 1 sachet baking powder
• 2 pinches of salt
• Butter or oil for cooking
• 1 tin salmon eggs
• 1 tin lumpfish eggs
• Some sprigs of dill
• Thick crème fraîche

PREPARATION

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the yoghurt and the egg. Whisk everything together. Leave the batter to rest for 20 mins. Ladle a small quantity of the batter into a lightly greased blini pan, to a thickness of about 5 mm, and cook for one to two minutes until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn the blini over and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool. Make the other blinis in the same way. Place two or three blinis on each plate. Top with a tablespoon of crème fraîche, some fish eggs and a sprig of dill. Serve immediately (or keep chilled until required).

FETA CIGARS

Preparation: 35 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

For 6 people ( 24 cigars)

INGREDIENTS

• 6 sheets of brick pastry
• 200 g mozzarella
• 200 g feta
• 1/2 bunch flat parsley
• 1 beaten egg yolk
• 5-peppercorn mixture
• 50 ml grape seed oil or frying oil for shallow frying

PREPARATION

Cut the feta and mozzarella into very small pieces. Wash and finely chop the parsley (with scissors in a water glass). In a large bowl, mix the cheese with the parsley and some ground pepper (do not add any salt). Cut each sheet of pastry into four. Position one of the quarter sheets on the work top, the curved side towards you, and place a tablespoon of the cheese mixture in a horizontal strip. Brush the point at the top with beaten egg and fold over the sides inwards. Roll up to make a cigar shape, being sure that the point at the end is firmly sealed. Make the other cigars in the same way. Heat the oil in a wok or shallow saucepan and then fry the cigars for two minutes, turning them over halfway through: cook in several batches. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve the cigars warm or cold.