Chargrilled Asparagus, Tomato and Ashmore Cheese Tart
- Matt Sworder
- May 28
- 2 min read
We usually have a seasonal tart on the menu at the restaurants as they make for a perfect lunchtime meal. This particular tart is a little bit special. The key is to avoid overcooking the custard base. You should try to ensure you find that point where it’s ‘just cooked’. Like so much of cooking that is the fun part. The recipe that follows is essentially a base recipe that you can take in whichever direction you wish, for example, you might like to do a version featuring crab and prawn.This tart is for a pastry case 25cm in diameter and 4cm in height. It will serve 8 guests easily or if you are hungry 4.
Dish Difficulty: Medium
Serves: 4-8
Ingredients
For the tart mix:
5 eggs
200ml double cream
50ml milk
2 onions, thinly sliced1 bay leaf
15 or so char-grilled asparagus spears
6 oven-dried tomatoes, quartered
100g Ashmore cheese, from the Cheesemakers of Canterbury, or a good quality alternative hard cheese, roughly diced
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Blind bake your savoury pastry case as per the basics recipe.
Put a little vegetable oil in a medium-sized pan.
Add the sliced onions and bay leaf, stirring with a wooden spoon to ensure they don’t catch.
Sweat down the onions for half an hour until they become translucent and jam-like. Put to one side.
For the asparagus spears prepare as per the starter recipe and put aside.
Quarter the oven-dried tomatoes and roughly cube the cheese into 1cm squares.
Mix the eggs, double cream and milk with a whisk. Add seasoning and put aside.
For the assembly, place the onion at the bottom of the tart and spread evenly with a spoon.
Scatter the tomato and cheese evenly and then add the asparagus spears.
Put half the custard mix in the tart and put in the oven. Finally add the second half of the custard mix and push down any asparagus that may be over the mix. Bake in the oven at 170°C for 25 minutes.
The tart is cooked if the centre does not wobble when shaken.
Leave to rest for as long as you can and enjoy with a super salad.
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