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Puff Pastry Egg Tartlets with Smoked Salmon, Cheese and Asparagus



It’s the holidays, which generally means house guests and leftovers, especially leftover charcuterie. If you have guests and leftovers and still intend to make brunch, this recipe will be a winner!

I always have smoked salmon and some kind of garlic and herb cheese spread when I host a cocktail hour. Often I will have used a sheet of puff pastry to make a warm hors d’oeuvres to serve alongside credit and various charcuterie. The odds and ends get put away in the refrigerator, but what to do with them? And after cooking a time intensive holiday feast, who wants to repeat anything as laborious the next day for brunch?

Baking eggs is an obvious solution. No need to stand by the stove, cooking eggs to order or carefully watching a simmering pot to perfectly poach eggs. Instead, use up the extra sheet of puff pastry, the leftover cheese and smoked salmon, add asparagus and a runny yolk egg and voila! The star of brunch is served. Enjoy! 

Ingredients:
1 9 by 9 inch sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
3/4 cup garlic and herb cheese spread, such as Boursin or Alouette
1 lb asparagus spears
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
5 eggs
 4 ounces smoked salmon 

Method:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 

On a lightly floured surface, cut the pastry sheet into 4 quarters; roll each quarter portion into 6 inch squares. Using a paring knife, score an inch border around each square, being careful not to cut through.

Dock the interior of the border with a fork. Transfer the squares to a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.

Trim the asparagus to make 4 inch long spears. Coat spear with olive oil and salt and pepper. 

Beat one egg and brush along the inch border of the puff pastry tartlets. Spread 3 tablespoons of the garlic and herb cheese spread inside the border of each tartlet. Arrange the asparagus side by side on top of the cheese. 

Bake for 10 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from the oven. Push the center down with a spoon to make a well for each egg. Crack each egg into a ramekin then carefully pour into the center of each tartlet. Season with salt and pepper.


Return to the oven and bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are runny. Tap with flaked smoked salmon and enjoy!

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