Edible Art: 3 Recipes From La Table By Celine

Korean-born food blogger and stylist Celine Rousseau has soared to fame on Instagram for her aesthetically pleasing, whimsically-inspired dishes. She presents food as works of art, creating playful and picturesque twists on classics – from cookies and cakes to sandwiches and pizza. And now, she’s sharing her culinary and creative expertise in a new cookbook, La Table By Celine. Inspired by her travels around Asia, America and Europe, the recipe book shows readers how to create their own edible art through 60 recipes – we share three below.

Celine Rousseau Recipes

Lemon Tart with Daisy Meringues

Here is a spring twist on lemon meringue tart. Its refreshing citrus flavor will awaken your taste buds, while the daisy flowers against a yellow background will brighten your table. Serve yourself a slice of spring! 

Makes 1 Tart (18 cm/7 in)

Ingredients:

For the tart shell

• 200 g (around 13) digestive biscuits (wholemeal biscuits)
• 100 g (7 tablespoons) butter, melted

For the lemon curd

• 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the meringue)
• 100 g (½cup) sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• A pinch of salt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 100 ml (½ cup) lemon juice
• 80 g (5½ tablespoons) butter, cold and cubed

For the meringue

• 2 egg whites
• 100 g (½ cup) sugar
• A pinch of salt

Optional

• Mint leaves

Tools

• Tart tin (18 cm/7 in) with a removable bottom
• 2 piping bags with a round tip
• Kitchen thermometer

Method:

1. To make the tart shell, in a food processor, pulse the digestive biscuits until they are finely crushed. Add the melted butter and pulse until well combined. Press the crumb mixture into the base and sides of the tart tin. Refrigerate the tart shell to set.
2. To make the lemon curd, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
3. In a medium-sized non-reactive saucepan, heat the lemon zest and juice until simmering, then pour them slowly into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling the egg.
4. Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until thickened so that a finger run over the back of the spoon leaves a mark. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the zest and any scrambled pieces. Add butter to the strained mixture and blend well using a blender or whisk.
5. Reserving 1 tablespoon of the lemon curd, pour the rest into the tart shell, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours or until set.
6. To make the meringue, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a glass or metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water, ensuring that it does not touch the water. Whisk the mixture until it reaches 70°C (160°F) and the sugar has completely dissolved. When you rub a bit of the mixture between your fingers, it should feel smooth, not gritty.
7. Remove the bowl from the pot of water. Using an electric whisk, beat the mixture until very stiff peaks form.
8. Fit a piping bag with a small round tip. Fill the piping bag with the meringue, then pipe the meringue into daisy petal shapes on top of the lemon curd filling. Fill another piping bag with the reserved lemon curd and pipe it at the center of the daisy petals. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

Apricot & Blackberry ‘Sunflower’ Galette

These galettes, filled with the summer bounty of fresh apricots and blackberries, conjure up sunflowers. Serve them on a sunny day for dessert or pack them for a picnic near a sunflower field.

Makes 2 Galettes (16 cm/6 in)

Ingredients:

For the pie crust

• 200 g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 100 g (7 tablespoons) cold butter, cubed
• 3 tablespoons ice water

For the filling

• 4 tablespoons sugar (adjust to taste) 
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 4–5 apricots (around 200–250 g), thinly sliced 7 blackberries
• 10 g (scant tablespoon) butter

For the egg wash

• 1 egg 
• 1 tablespoon of water

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Gradually add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, and mix until the dough comes together. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disk, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
3. For the filling, in a small bowl, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and optional ground cinnamon. Add 1 tablespoon of the mixture to the sliced black- berries and the rest to the sliced apricots. Toss well to ensure the fruit is evenly coated.
4. Roll out one of the pie crust disks on a lightly floured surface to a circle of about 20 cm (8 in) in diameter.
5. Leaving about 2 cm (1 in) of border around the edges, arrange the blackberries in the center and the sliced apricots around them to mimic a sunflower. Fold the edges of the pie crust over the filling, pleating as necessary to create a neat circle. Dot the filling with butter. Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water to create an egg wash and brush the exposed crust with it.
6. Repeat the process with the second galette. 
7. Bake the galettes for approximately 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly. Let the galette cool before serving.

Cherry Tomato Focaccia

I’ve placed these look-alikes onto a rectangular focaccia so that everyone can get a cute ‘cherry’ on their slice. Serve with a burrata or mozzarella ball and prosciutto on the side for an apéritif or as a starter.

Makes 1 Focaccia (serves 6)

Ingredients:

For the dough

• 3.5 g (1 teaspoon) dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 160 ml (1 ⅓ cups) lukewarm water (mix two parts cold water with one part hot water)
• 250 g (2 cups) flour,
• Tipo 00 or pizza flour
• A pinch of salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil

For the toppings

• 12 cherry tomatoes
• ½ zucchini
• 6–12 basil leaves (depending on whether you want one leaf or two leaves per cherry)

Method:

1. Combine the yeast, sugar, and lukewarm water in a bowl. Mix well and wait for 5–10 minutes until bubbles form.
2. In a large bowl, place the flour, salt, and ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Once the dough becomes hard to mix with a spoon, knead for about 10 minutes. Cover the dough and let it proof for about 1 hour at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge).
3. Once proofed, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
4. Shape the focaccia into a rectangle. Make dimples with your knuckles, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the focaccia and proof for another 45 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
6. Julienne the zucchini into thin strips 4 – 5 cm (1½–2 in) long.
7. Once the second proof is done, create cherry patterns by placing the cherry tomatoes and zucchini strips on the dough. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
8. Once out of the oven, drizzle with more olive oil and cool for at least 10 minutes. Add basil leaves before serving to complete the cherry patterns.

La Table by Celine is published by Prestel, £24.99, prestel.com, photos by © Celine Rousseau