Makes: About 50
Time: 1¼ hours
Although they’re usually sweet (see page 467), palmiers are easily and spectacularly made into appetizers by spreading the dough with savory ingredients instead of sugar. Sharp, briny tapenade cuts through the buttery pastry particularly well; the recipe for it here gives you some leftovers, which will keep in the fridge for at least a month, but if you prefer, you can use your favorite store-bought version.
If you’re not cooking these for a crowd (they stay crisp for only a few days), use half as much puff pastry and freeze the rest or shape and then freeze the palmiers for up to 1 month, thaw completely in the fridge, and bake them as you need them.
1. Make the tapenade: Combine the olives, capers, anchovies with their oil, and garlic in a food processor, along with a bit of the olive oil. Pulse the machine once or twice, then turn it on and add the remaining olive oil rather quickly; you don’t want this purée too uniform but rather rough, as it would be if you had the energy to use a mortar and pestle (which you can use if you prefer). Stir in the thyme if you’re using it and thin with more olive oil if necessary.
2. Make the palmiers: Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 14 inches long and less than ¼ inch thick, sprinkling on more flour as necessary, and spread 1 cup of the tapenade over the whole sheet. Fold each of the short ends 2 or 3 times inward to reach the middle, then fold the dough in half along the center and press gently to seal (see the illustrations on page 469). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 350°F. Slice the log into ¼-inch-thick slices and put on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, turning the baking sheets once after about 20 minutes. Store cooled palmiers in an airtight container at room temperature.
OLIVE AND FETA PALMIERS After spreading the tapenade onto the puff pastry, sprinkle with ½ cup crumbled feta.
PESTO AND DRIED TOMATO PALMIERS Substitute pesto for the tapenade. In a food processor or blender, combine 2 loosely packed cups fresh basil leaves, ½ clove garlic, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, ¼ cup olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Purée, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary and adding another ¼ cup oil as you go. Stir in ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano by hand. After spreading the pesto onto the puff pastry, sprinkle with ½ cup chopped dried tomatoes.
THREE-CHEESE AND HERB PALMIERS Substitute the following mixture for the tapenade: ½ cup each ricotta, goat cheese, and freshly grated Parmesan, up to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (like rosemary, thyme, and oregano), 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and some salt and pepper.
How to Bake Anything en Croute
Wrap anything in a layer of puff pastry and not only will the texture change radically, the presentation will be striking. Furthermore, whatever’s inside will remain moist and tender. Use the wrapping technique from Baked Brie with any of these fillings or try your own, taking care not to overfill—about 2 cups’ worth of filling is perfect.
BEETS EN CROUTE: Wrap 1 large beet (about 8 ounces) in foil and roast at 400°F for about 1 hour, until you can easily pierce it with a knife. Once it’s cooled, you can easily peel the skin and chop it. Spread a softened 4-ounce log of goat cheese over the center of the dough, then top with the beet and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves.
SALMON EN CROUTE: Spread an even layer of Dijon or whole-grain mustard over the rolled dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Remove the skin from a 1-pound salmon fillet and place it in the center of the dough. Shape and bake as directed; garnish with fresh dill.
SAUSAGE EN CROUTE: Cut the dough in half so that each piece is 6 inches wide. Spread evenly with whole-grain mustard, then place a piece of kielbasa, andouille, or other cooked sausage in the center, parallel with the long sides of the dough, leaving about 1 inch on either end; cut the sausage to fit. Wrap the dough around it, gently pressing the sides and ends together to seal.
ROASTED VEGETABLES EN CROUTE: This is fantastic with any combination of vegetables and works perfectly with leftovers, so use whatever you have on hand; zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and red pepper are great in summer, and butternut squash, cauliflower, carrots, and Brussels sprouts are excellent in winter: Cube 2 cups’ worth of vegetables and combine with ¼ cup chopped onion or leek. Toss everything with olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper; if you like, add up to 1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or up to 1 teaspoon ground spices like cumin, coriander, or chili powder. Roast at 400°F until tender and let cool. Scatter the center of the dough with ½ cup bread crumbs, top with the vegetables, seal well, and roast face up.
BEEF EN CROUTE: Decadent and savory, perfect with a side of creamed spinach: Pat a 1½-pound beef tenderloin dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until it’s smoking, then sear the beef on all sides. Set aside. Sauté 2 finely chopped shallots in 1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter over medium heat for 1 minute; add ½ pound finely chopped mushrooms and 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has cooked out, about 10 minutes. If you like, add ¼ cup Madeira, Marsala, or sherry and continue to cook until the mixture reduces to a syrup. Spread the mushrooms over the center of the dough and top with the beef. Shape and bake as directed.
EASY TOURTE MILANESE: This is traditionally assembled in a deep pie plate so that its immaculate layers are revealed in each slice. My version combines the same flavorful, colorful components with a fraction of the effort: Roast 1 red pepper, remove the skin, and finely chop (or use store-bought). Sauté 2 cups chopped spinach and 2 cloves minced garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Use a slotted spoon or strainer to drain off any excess moisture; set aside. In a separate pan, gently scramble 2 eggs over low heat, stirring constantly to make fine curds; set these aside too. Place 1 slice each good-quality ham and Swiss cheese in the center of the dough. Spread the eggs over this, then top with the spinach and the red peppers. Stack one more slice each of the cheese and ham, then fold and bake as directed.