Chef Patrice Olivon

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French Tacos

Grilled Red Pepper Confit with Arugula and Goat Cheese in a Garlic Wafer

I created this dish in honor of Bastille Day – it is my version of a French "taco". When I was growing up in the south of France, my mother loved preparing red peppers this way – first roasting them on the grill, then sautéing them for more flavor. Peppers are full of vitamins, and this is a healthy side dish that accompanies charcuterie. I added garlic to a traditional French tuile (or wafer) to create a savory, crunchy container for the red peppers. I suggest preparing the red peppers and garlic tacos the night before you want to serve the tacos. They are great for a holiday when you want to spend more time with friends and family than in your kitchen - plan on each guest eating two.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: easy
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Yield: 8 appetizer sized tacos

Ingredients

Special equipment: A silpat, which is a silicone pad especially for baking, is helpful when making the garlic tacos. If you do not have a silpat, use a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit - melt a tablespoon of unsalted butter, then brush it evenly on the parchment paper and let the butter cool for a few minutes.

Methode
Roast the red pepper: place two whole red peppers on a hot grill or grill pan. Using tongs, turn them as they are roasting until they are nearly black on all sides – about 10 minutes. While they are hot, place the red peppers in a brown paper bag and fold down the top of the bag in order to seal in the steam. After 10 minutes, take them out of the bag and use your fingers to peel off the peppers' charred outer skin. Discard the char, remove the stem and seeds, then cut the roasted red peppers into one inch slices.

Sauté the peppers: In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and red peppers and cook until the garlic turns a light brown color, about 1 minute.

Deglaze the pan: Add the two vinegars and stir to loosen any bits from the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool a bit, then mix in the basil and black olives. If the mixture is a little dry, add a bit of olive oil. Check the seasoning and make sure it is to your liking. Cover the mixture and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Make the batter for the crunchy garlic tacos: Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature – this will allow their flavors and textures to combine easily. With an electric mixer on medium, mix the soft butter with the sugar and salt until thoroughly dissolved. Add the egg whites and mix the batter until it’s smooth. Add the flour and the minced garlic, and mix until they are just combined. Let the batter set for 20 minutes in a cool place.

Bake the crunchy garlic tacos: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. On a silpat or cooking sheet pan lined with buttered parchment paper, spoon eight 3-inch circles of batter. They will spread out about one more inch while cooking, so have enough space between the circles. Bake the circles for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately after taking them out of the oven, use a spatula to remove them from the silpat or cookie sheet, then quickly drape them over a rolling pin to let them cool. If they cool and start cracking as you shape them, heat them up for a few seconds in the oven until they are pliable and re-shape. Store in an airtight container overnight.

Make the salad: Just before serving the dish, toss the arugula together with a little bit of olive oil, salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Serve: Place some of the roasted peppers and olive mixture in the bottom of each garlic taco. Top the peppers with the arugula salad, and finish with your favorite goat cheese on top. This recipe suits all goat cheese lovers as the salad tastes great with a wide range of goat cheese - from fresh to aged. Serve at room temperature.

"Dinner is Served. Bon Appetit!" — Chef Patrice Olivon

Nutritional Information: 53 Calories; 33g Fat (80.8% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 69mg Cholesterol; 782mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 6 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

From: Dinner is Served, a public television series
© 2009 Fresh TV Creative, LLC, All Rights Reserved.

For more information about Chef Patrice and Dinner is Served,
visit www.chefpatrice.tv