Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar
This book is overflowing with gorgeous sweet and savory tart recipes, such as plum, cherry, fig, and apple tarts, filo dippers, veggie roses and beef tortillas. You can cook through the chapters in the book and have a pile of new recipes for your future brunches and desserts.
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Spring Vegetable Brunch Tart
Sweet, crunchy veg, smooth ricotta and crisp prosciutto – a perfect combo! Leave the pastry sheet out of the fridge for 5 minutes before unfolding so that it doesn’t crack.
Serves 4
Takes 50 minutes
4 small hen’s eggs
320-g (11-oz) pack pre-rolled puff pastry
150g (5oz) ricotta
20g ( ¾ oz) Parmesan, grated
zest and juice of ½ lemon
50g (1 ¾ oz) fresh peas
100g (3 ½ oz) asparagus spears, woody stems removed
4 spring onions (scallions), trimmed
1 baby gem lettuce, cut into wedges
olive oil
6 slices prosciutto
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soft-boil 3 of the eggs for 5–7 minutes. Run under a cold tap and peel. Place to one side until later.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas mark 7. Place the pastry on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper. Score a 2-cm (1-in) border around the edge of the pastry and a criss-cross pattern in the centre. Be careful not to go through the pastry. Beat the remaining egg in a mug and brush over the pastry. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 160ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3. Gently push down the centre of the pastry with the back of a spoon. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the Parmesan and lemon zest and juice then dot this over the centre of the pastry and bake for a further 15 minutes. Preheat a chargrill pan over a high heat. Boil the peas for 2 minutes then drain. Drizzle the asparagus, spring onions and lettuce with a little olive oil and griddle in batches until everything is nicely charred. Place to one side. Turn down the heat and griddle the prosciutto for a minute on each side until crisp.
Spoon the peas over the ricotta and arrange the vegetables and prosciutto over the base. Halve the eggs and nestle them among the vegetables. Season and serve the tart drizzled with olive oil.
Recipe excerpted with permission from Posh Tarts by Phillippa Spence, photographs by Faith Mason published by Quadrille.
Tracey Zabar's Chocolate Chip Sweets: Celebrated Chefs Share Favorite Recipes is available here.
A delectable collection of innovative chocolate chip recipes by world-renowned chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers
Tracey Zabar's One Sweet Cookie Cookbook is available here.
A delicious collection of cookie recipes from extraordinary chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers. A great gift sure to delight anyone who loves to bake.
