I really miss french markets. They are full of colors, sounds and smells, everyone yelling to sell their products. Fresh products seem so much more appetising then the dull supermarket version. Let’s be honest going grocery shopping is a chore not a pleasure. On the other hand going to the market is a social experience, you take the time to choose your product, you have a taste of a sample, you talk to the cheese guy…
Markets in Sydney are mainly for handcrafted items and second hand stalls. You’ll find stalls selling food but food markets are rare. Eveleigh Market is one of them. Located just off busy King st, in newtown, it’s very popular but I found very limited. There is only a handful of people selling fresh products, plus a few people selling foods to eat there (although the website claims there is 70 stalls, I must admit I haven’t been there in 3 years. I really need to go back).
The most unusual is the one at the Entertainment Quarter (moore park) . I mean there is no much happening other than this market during the day at the fox studio unless there is an event organise there. Surprisingly enough though there is some really nice food there, you’ll find some fresh organic fruits and vegetables, really nice bread, including sonoma bakery bread, and some stinky cheese (my favorite)
For a while I have been told Marrickville market is an absolute must and I should go. Turns out, from our new house, the market is only 15m away. So off we went with Paul and Amelia on a sunny sunday morning. We were not disappointed! I mean how good does these homemade donuts look like! There was some amazing croissant, the fresh fruits and veggies looked amazing and were very affordable. There is even a stand that sell you compost created from the market’s leftovers. For the french food lover, there is even a french stall La Planchette. They have a really nice selection of products but I find them a bit overprice.
So with our bags filled with good food and our belly full of amazing food (literally the best pork sandwich I have ever had in my life), we went back home.
After a nice brunch made from the bread, eggs and avocado bought on the market, I was left with 2 giant boxes of gorgeous sugar plums and plums bought for 10$.
Believed me I got creative. First I made a jam. That was the best jam ever, on top of the sugar, I added 2 caps of cointreau in it and it was the most delicious thing ever.
900 g of sugar plums with 450 g of sugar and 2 caps of cointreau. I left them absorb the sugar and the alcohol for 3hours. The goodness was oozing from them. 
With the jam, we did some little puff pastry chaussons. Just take a square of puff pastry, put some jam on half of the square, fold, put some egg wash on it and cook until golden brown.
We also did some tartelette with the jam, and added blue cheese and Jamon. You can not imagine how good that tasted. DELICIOUS!
At the end, we still had plums! So it was time to pull out the big guns
Plum and Almond tart
I am the kind of cook that is never ever happy with what they cook. this could use more/less salt, pepper, sugar, spice… or more/less time in the oven…. Let me tell you I would not have change anything to this tart! I had to physically stop myself from eating it. It’s so good that even people who say they will only have half a slice come back for seconds 🙂 not too sweet, not to sour, the fruit balance nicely the almond.
Biscuit dough (pâte sablée):
- 250g flour
- 125 sugar
- 1 egg
- 100 g butter (room temperature not cold)
In a bowl, mix the egg and sugar. Add the flour, the butter (soft but not liquid) diced in cubs. Work with your finger to incorporate everything. Sablée means sand like, so you need to create this texture with your fingers. Keep going until you reach an uniform dough. Let to rest for 1 hour in the fridge. Cook for 10 m before adding the filling.
Tart filling
- 100 g butter
- 100 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 100 g almond meal
- 25 g flour
- 2 caps of cointreau
- Plums (raspberries works well, as well as pear and apple. you might need to poach the pear and apple)
Mix the soft butter and sugar until the mixture is white and fluffy. Add the eggs, the almond meal, the flour and the cointreau.
Add the filling on the pre cooked dough. Add the plums. Cook for 25m at 180C
Enjoy with some ice cream or cream
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