It took us a while to get used to the ‘apéro’ here in the Loire. More used to a few crisps and a bowl of peanuts with a pre- dinner glass of wine, the apéro takes things to a whole different level.
Savoury cakes are very popular in France and are great when you have friends coming over for a glass or two.
This recipe was given to me a long time ago by my friend Ali (English but married to a Frenchman) and it was in turn given to her by her French mother in law.
For one cake that serves 8 as part of an apéro evening you’ll need:
150g flour
3 eggs
10g baking powder (or you can use self raising flour)
6 tablespoons of olive oil
5-6 tablespoons of milk (I used buttermilk)
100g grated Gruyère cheese (any hard flavoursome cheese will do)
1 small courgette ends removed and cut into small dice
1 small red pepper deseeded, chopped and cut into small dice
150g Feta cheese cut into small dice
A handful of stoned black olives chopped into small dice
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°C 350°F
Using one of the tablespoons of oil, cook the red pepper dice over a medium heat until soft.
Mix the flour, baking powder and eggs together, then, when the pepper is ready add that along with all the other ingredients and mix well.
Put into a greased and floured loaf tin (or use baking paper to line) and cook on a high shelf for approximately 30 minutes. Check it’s cooked by inserting a skewer and checking to see it comes out clean. Remember there is quite a bit of cheese in the mix which will remain soft.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the tin.
The size of your courgette and pepper and the amount of milk/oil you use will affect the consistency. I used 6 tablespoons of buttermilk and the result was very soft and squidy but if you prefer a drier consistency then use slightly less.
If it becomes too brown on top before it’s fully cooked cover and check again after 10 minutes.
