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CHEF HANS & PATTI RÖCKENWAGNER
Röckenwagner – Santa Monica, CA
Feb
2004
Love at first bite! Patti was dining in Hans’ restaurant
the night they met. Hans won Patti over immediately, and they
have been a culinary power-duo ever since. Opposites truly
do attract – Hans and Patti believe the key to their
successful relationship lies in their different styles and
focuses. Says Hans of their relationship, “We build
on each other’s strengths and work hard on each other’s
weaknesses.” Sounds like a match made in heaven to us!
Strawberry Pizza with Almond Cream
Chef Hans Röckenwagner
of Röckenwagner – Santa Monica, CA
Adapted by StarChefs
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
Frangipane
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup superfine sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract, or 1 teaspoon Amaretto
- 1 cup finely ground blanched almonds (almond meal)
- 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
Pizzas
- 1 pound frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 2 pints whole strawberries, stemmed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 4 sprigs fresh mint
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Method: For the frangipane:
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,
beat the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, scraping
down the bowl as necessary. Add the egg yolks one at a time,
beating well after each addition. Add the almond extract.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and combine the almonds and
flour by hand until evenly blended with the rest of the mixture.
For the pizza:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. On a lightly floured
surface, roll out the pastry to a 1/8 inch thickness and with
a very sharp knife cut four 7 inch circles. Transfer to non-stick
baking sheets or baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Spread a circle of frangipane in each, leaving a one-inch
border. Place the strawberries stem end down on the frangipane.
Beat the egg yolk and brush the outer circles of the puff
pastry with it. Bake the tartlets for 20 minutes until the
edges are golden and the pastry is backed through. Place a
sprig of mint in the center of each pizza and dust with the
confectioners’ sugar. Serve hot. It goes well with vanilla
ice cream.
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