Best Tomato Saffron Tart Recipes

ANNA'S TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Place the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, until the butter is the size of peas. Add the egg yolks and pulse a few times to combine. With the motor running, add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and roll it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Put the parsley, basil, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely minced. With the processor running, pour the olive oil down the feed tube and process until combined. Pour the mixture over the tomatoes and toss gently. Set aside.
• On a well-floured board, roll the dough out to an 11 x 17-inch rectangle and transfer it to the prepared sheet pan. Don't worry if it doesn't fit exactly; you want it to cover most of the bottom of the pan but it can be a little rough on the sides. Place a second sheet pan directly on the pastry and bake for 15 minutes. (You can also line the pastry with foil and fill it with dried beans.) Remove the top sheet pan (or the beans and foil). Using a dinner fork, pierce the pastry in many places. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Check the pastry during baking; pierce any spots that bubble up. Allow the crust to cool for 15 minutes.
• Lower the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the mustard on the crust with a pastry brush. Sprinkle a thick even layer of Gruyere on the pastry, reserving 1/2 cup for the top, and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Place overlapping tomatoes in rows on top. If there is a little garlic and herb mixture in the bowl, sprinkle it over the tomatoes, but if there is liquid in the bowl, strain it through a very-fine-mesh strainer, discard the liquid, and sprinkle the garlic and herb mixture on the tomatoes. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of Gruyere and the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool slightly, cut into squares, and serve warm or at room temperature.

TOMATO & SAFFRON TART

Steps:

• On the day before, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a loose-bottomed 23cm/9in tart tin. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C.
• Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and brush the pastry all over with beaten egg. Return to the oven for 10 minutes until lightly browned, then leave to cool in the tin. Once cold, tent loosely with foil and keep in a cool place.
• Make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a very large heavy-bottomed frying pan and fry the onion, celery and garlic for 10 minutes until soft and transparent. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 30 minutes until the sauce is thick and jammy. Remove the bay leaf. You can use the sauce as it is, or make a coarsely textured puree in the food processor to give it enough bite to complement the heavenly, trembly custard that comes to rest on it. Leave to cool, then keep in a covered container in the fridge.
• On the day, preheat the oven to 160C/gas 3/fan 140C and put a large baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Make the saffron custard. Warm 4 tbsp cream in a small pan with the saffron threads and their water, then infuse for 5 minutes. Beat the eggs and yolks in a jug; stir in the remaining cream and the saffron cream (do this with a fork, as saffron threads wrap round a whisk). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spread about half the tomato sauce over the pastry, to come almost halfway up the pastry case (freeze the rest to use another time). Place on the heated baking sheet, then very carefully pour in the saffron custard (you may not get it all in if your tin is shallow, but it doesn't matter). Bake for 30-40 minutes until the custard is tremblingly set and has turned an intense golden colour with brown patches.
• To serve, cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter. Leave at room temperature and serve scattered with basil leaves.

TOMATO TART TATIN

Steps:

• Set up your grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
• Season the tomato halves with kosher salt and pepper and set aside. Place the sugar in a large enameled cast iron braiser or saute pan over the direct heat side of the grill. Shake out into an even layer and allow to melt then caramelize, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan for any brown bits. Stir in the garlic, onions and thyme, then the parsley and allow the liquid to melt back down. Remove from the heat.
• Place the tomatoes flesh side down on top of the onions. Place on the indirect heat side of the grill, close the lid and vents of the grill (this will make the temperature drop to 225 to 250 degrees F) and bake until the skins are wrinkly and the tomatoes have softened and given up more liquid, 2 hours.
• Brush another large enameled cast iron braiser or saute pan with the butter. When the tomatoes are ready, scoop the tomatoes out of their juices and place them in the buttered pan, cut side up and skin side down. Add the caramelized onions on top of the tomatoes. Using kitchen shears, cut off the square edges of the puff pastry, rounding the edges. Top the tomatoes and onions with the puff pastry round.
• Place the pan on the indirect heat side of the grill, with the air vents open, and cover the grill. The temperature should be around 425 degrees F. Bake until golden brown and the pastry is puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pan for 3 minutes before turning out on to a plate. Garnish with a sprig of basil in the center and sprinkle with flakey salt.