One of our favorite restaurants in Napa, Bistro Jeanty, makes fabulous French country fare. One of their signature dishes is a bowl of Tomato soup with a crown of puff pastry. They take a simple dish, and elevate it to something special. Surprisingly easy to do in your kitchen with very few ingredients. It’s a real show stopper!
Ingredients
- Soup – your choice, Tomato, Cream of Mushroom, Clam Chowder, Split Pea or any of your choosing.
- Puff Pastry – Pepperidge Farms has a great 2 sheet package in the frozen section of most markets. Each sheet makes two servings.
- One Egg.
Process
- Thaw your puff pastry sheet(s) and select oven proof bowls with a diameter of less than 7 inches. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Get your soup ready. If it is canned or boxed, no big deal. Just warm it up and add some flavorings to make it better. Spices, herbs, or a shot of Sherry can all do the trick.
- Roll out the puff pastry and cut out two circles that are about one inch larger than the top of the bowls.
- Beat the egg well and paint the outer 1 inch of the puff pastry circles with the beaten egg.
- Ladle the soup into the bowls, and carefully put a puff pastry round on top of the bowl with the egg side towards the bowl (it is the glue). Seal the puff pastry well to the bowl.
- Brush the top and sides of the pastry with the remaining beaten egg.
- Place the bowls in the middle of the 425F oven and watch as the miracle of expanding molecules cause the puff pastry to rise.
- Bake until well browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about ten minutes.
Be ready to be dazzled!
