ASPARAGUS AND SCALLION TART

ASPARAGUS AND SCALLION TART image

Yield 6-8 people

Number Of Ingredients 13

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Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
9 tbsp butter, diced and softened
1/2 - 1 egg, beaten
Asparagus and Scallion Tart
10" shortcrust pastry, baked blind
1 tbsp olive oil
7 oz. scallions, trimmed and finely sliced or chopped
7 oz asparagus spears, trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 oz parmesan cheese

Steps:

Pastry: Place the flour and butter in a food processor. Blend for a few seconds. Add half the beaten egg and blend. Add a little more egg if necessary to make the pastry come together. Flatten the ball of dough to a thickness of about 1 3/4 inches, wrap or cover with plastic, and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge. Place the pastry between two sheets of plastic, which should be bigger than your tart pan. Using a rolling pin, roll it out until it is no thicker than 1/8 inch. Make sure it is large enough to line the base and sides of the pan. Removing the top layer of plastic, invert the pastry into the 10" tart pan. Press into the edges. Remove the plastic and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350*. Line the chilled pastry with wax paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry feels dry. Remove the paper and beans, brush with a little leftover beaten egg, and return to the oven for 2 minutes. Tart: Preheat the oven to 350*. To make the tart filling, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan, add the scallions and cook over a low heat until soft. Cook the asparagus by dropping it into boiling water with a pinch of salt, cover and bring back up to the boil, then remove the lid and boil, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes until it is just cooked. Drain, and then slice the asparagus into 1 1/2 inch pieces at an angle. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add the cream and the cooked scallions and season. Pour this filling into the cooked pastry shell, still in the pan. Drop the asparagus into the tart and sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the top. Carefully place the tart into the preheated oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the tart is just set in the center. Remove from the oven, and serve out of the pan, hot or at room temperature.