Ch'ti mussel tarts

A recipe from cooking-ez.com

For 6 people, you will need:

• 1 250 g puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée)
• 2 100 g Maroilles cheese
• 3 100 ml beer
• 4 200 g cooked mussels
• 5 pepper
• Total weight: 650 grams

Times:

Preparation	Cooking	Start to finish
1 hour 1 min.	20 min.	1 hour 20 min.

Step by step recipe

1	Cut 250 g puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée) out into circles and line your tart tins or moulds, then bake blind. Set aside.
2	Cut 100 g Maroilles cheese into small pieces.
3	Pour 100 ml beer into a small saucepan on low heat. Bring to the boil.
4	Add the Maroilles, tune down the heat and leave to melt gently, stirring form time to time.
5	This will make a velvety and very tasty sauce. Check the seasoning (you shouldn't need to add any salt, just pepper), then set aside.
6	Fill the cooked tart cases with 200 g cooked mussels.
7	Cover generously with the sauce.
8	Put back in the oven for 3 minutes, just to heat through.
9	Serve without delay.

Remarks

Try to choose a beer in keeping with the Ch'ti character, such as a strong, brown or amber ale (from northern France if you can find it).
This recipe can be varied easily by using different shellfish: clams, cockles, etc. (or a mix).
Translator's note: Ch'ti is a dialect found around Lille in the north-east of France. The area was formerly a centre of mining and heavy industry, like the north-east of England, and with a similar culture. The accent is often seen as impenetrable, much like Geordie.

---