I can’t believe I’ve shared the delights of the Danish culinary heritage with you
– stegt flæsk (fried belly pork), agurkesalat (cucumber salad), skibberlabskovs (Skipper Stew) to name but a few –
without ever mentioning tarteletter! One of the stalwarts at any
self-respecting Dansk Frokost (Danish celebratory lunch). The next big
lunch on the calendar being all those Easter get-togethers at the end of the
month. So let’s get a move on!
The tartlet: Buy a pack of ready-made tarteletter (puff pastry
cases) – they’re available from any Danish supermarket (and some petrol
stations). There are cheap (thin and small) and expensive (large and thick)
varieties – I always go for the expensive ones because I ♥ my puff pastry to be
‘on the fat side’. Remove them from their packaging and place them ‘bottoms
up’ on a baking tray. You heat them in an oven at 200c/400f for about 5
minutes. Keep an eye on them – no burnt offerings, please.
Tarteletter – pastry cases and filling
The hot filling: You can go two ways. Make the filling yourself (my
preferred version) by making a basic white sauce and adding small pieces of
asparagus, shreds of cooked chicken, peas and carrots – whatever takes your
fancy. Or you can buy filling in a tin – open the can, pour into a saucepan and
heat through. By no means a gastronomical masterpiece, but good in a pinch.
You can always top with lots of parsley, to hide that it’s shop-bought 
Get them while they’re hot!
The finished article: serve hot on a tray and allow your guests to help
themselves. (On a side note: You can even buy special tartelet tongs
in the shops here – just the right shape for lifting them up. The perfect gift
for the man or woman who has everything?) Enjoy with a nice cold beer…
Tarteletter
Velbekomme! Have a fantastic Friday and a
wonderful weekend!
Diane 