Ingredients for Sparrow Grass, Tomato and Pesto Custard Tart
- 300 g puff pastry
- 150 g asparagus spears
- 350 g heritage tomatoes
- leaves few thyme
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Pesto custard:
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 30 g plain flour
- 60 g ground almonds
- 30 g parmesan, finely grated
- 2 tbsps sun-dried tomato pesto
- 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
- good pinch chilli flakes (optional)
- 40-60 ml extra virgin olive oil (depending on amount of oil in sun-dried tomatoes)
Cooking Instructions for making Sparrow Grass, Tomato and Pesto Custard Tart
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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