Category: Tarts

Red Onion Confit & Goat Cheese Quiche

One for real men perhaps.

In this red onion confit I used some reduced “must” which creates a natural added sweetness and a hint of something alcoholic. Its a natural partnership with a sharp cheese of course. With such strong flavours nothing more needed in the quiche custard than some fresh thyme and a pinch of nutmeg.  Here I used a “Turnul vlasiei” from Preotescu   

Ingredients

For a 20cm quiche

1 quantity Very Buttery Pastry 

3 heaped tablespoons of Red Onion & Port Confit

1 goats cheese tower or small log (“buche”) – between 150-200g of cheese

2 eggs and 300ml full fat milk

salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg

3 sprigs of fresh thyme – leaves only

How To

Blind bake the pastry case 

Spread the onion confit on the base of the pastry case

Crumble the cheese roughly over the onion confit

Beat the eggs, milk, salt pepper, nutmeg and thyme together. Pour gently over the cheese and confit.

Bake at 170C until browned on top.

Eat cold on a picnic or warm with a salad as a light lunch or supper. 

Goat Ricotta Tart with Spring Flowers

Inspired by the Michel Roux ricotta tart which I have long wanted to make. It calls for the freshest most perfect ricotta and that from Mihai and Ioana Preotescu in the Spring is incredibly creamy and deserving of the term “unctuous”.  As a follow on from a feast of goats cheese with freshly made flat breads, nuts and cheese a risk of lactic over indulgence? surely not.  Superb ever trustworthy pairing of the Stirbey Tamaioasa Romaneasca Sec recommended by Richard Fox elevated the offerings.  

Ingredients

1 Blind baked pastry case 20cm made with Very Buttery Pastry 

400g ricotta – the best and freshest you have access to

edible flowers – elderflowers, honeysuckle, orange blossom

Good floral honey such as acacia or linden

MR adds pistachios and serves with wedges of lemon separately to heighten the flavour of the ricotta.  This ricotta was so full of subtle flavours and real milk flavour that I didnt want to mess with it very much. I just used honey.

How To

  • Blind bake the tart case and let cool
  • Mash the ricotta with a fork 
  • Dribble honey into the base of the tart case
  • Spoon the ricotta over the top
  • Decorate with the flowers 

Improvs

Cherries, strawberries and my favourite gooseberries lightly poached with some elderflower create a heavenly cheesecake

Raspberry Walnut Frangipane Tart

go nuts for this tart

There is something very very right about raspberries and walnuts  – they seem to melt into the frangipane cream here and the combination is one of those where the tart is definitely more than the sum of its parts.  While its a delight to use raspberries in season, this smart tart can  be made just as well with frozen raspberries in case you need to create something impressive in colder months.  This recipe involves proper tart making ie making a crust before “Blind baking” and then filling and baking the filling.  Its not as fiddly or time consuming as you think and I for one just love the satisfaction of a properly made tart and easing it out of its case.

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