Home

Ingredient Top 5 Meal / Dish Types Holidays/Special Occasions Ethnic / Global Cuisines Diets/Eating Plans Main Ingredient Flavors Equipment Difficulty / Experience Level

Home Dish Sparrow Grass, Tomato and Pesto Custard Tart

Sparrow Grass, Tomato and Pesto Custard Tart

Name: How to cook Sparrow Grass, Tomato and Pesto Custard Tart - cookcic.com
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4-6 servings
Cuisine: Us

Introduce

Chef :

Laura

Sparrow Grass, Tomato and Pesto Custard Tart

Depicted on an Egyptian frieze as far back as 3,000 BC, enjoyed by ancient Greeks and Romans, asparagus (also known as sparrow grass) is much adored, especially here in Britain. The English word asparagus derives from the Greek asparagos, originating from Persian asparag meaning 'sprout' or 'shoot'. The season for asparagus traditionally starts on St George's day on the 23rd April and ends on Midsummer’s Day on the 21st June.

Ingredient

Food ration :

4-6 servings

Cooking time :

45-50 minutes

300 g

puff pastry

150 g

asparagus spears

350 g

heritage tomatoes

leaves

few thyme

1 tbsp

extra-virgin olive oil

100 g

unsalted butter, softened

eggs

30 g

plain flour

60 g

ground almonds

30 g

parmesan, finely grated

2 tbsps

sun-dried tomato pesto

60 g

sundried tomatoes

60 g

blanched almonds, cashew nuts or pine nuts

25 g

(35 large) basil leaves

2-4

mint leaves (optional)

100 g

Pecorino Romano or Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese, grated

2 cloves

garlic

1/4 tsp

salt

1/4 tsp

pepper

40-60 ml

extra virgin olive oil (depending on amount of oil in sun-dried tomatoes)

Cooking instructions

* Step 1

Cut the tomatoes into thick slices, season with salt and place in a paper towel-lined colander to drain for 30 minutes then pat dry. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C fan.

* Step 2

Roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle measuring approximately 30cm x 20cm. Fold 2cm of the edge over to create a rim. Do not prick the base. Line the inside of the pastry with parchment paper and fill with baking beans or dried rice.

* Step 3

Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer in a baking dish. Drizzle lightly with oil, season with pepper and thyme leaves. Place the tomatoes on the upper rack and the pastry on the lower rack. Remove the pastry after 15 minutes and leave the tomatoes in for another 10 minutes.

* Step 4

To make the pesto custard, whip the softened butter until light and fluffy. Add the whole eggs one at a time then add the flour, ground almonds, pesto and half the parmesan and mix well.

* Step 5

Remove the baking paper from the tart. Spread the pesto custard over the centre of the pastry. Snap off the bottom of the asparagus spears and if they are thick, slice in two lengthways. Arrange in the pesto custard, place the tomatoes on top and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

* Step 6

Return to the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden and the filling has risen. Check that the crust isn’t browning too quickly. If it is, cover loosely with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with a watercress salad.

* Step 7

Pesto: Toast the nuts for 4-6 minutes in a dry pan. Allow to cool. It is better to use a pestle and mortar but a food processor can also be used. Crush the garlic in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt to form a paste. Add the almonds then the basil, mint leaves and cheese. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and chilli flakes. Stream the oil into the pestle and mortar, whilst continuing to pound until have the texture of a loose yet still rough paste. Season with salt and pepper.

Note: if there is a photo you can click to enlarge it