COOKING COMPANION
The Upper Crust
Although it's all about the fi lling, achieving a quality base is fundamental to the success of any tart. Whether using puff , shortcrust or even a non-roll pastry, the sturdiness of the case is important to consider...
Press-in or non-roll: This kind of crust requires no rolling – simply blend the ingredients to form a soft dough and press it into your desired pan. Remember to allow your tart case to chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins before baking to ensure it is fi rm. Blind baking is also normally advised.
Savoury...
CARAMELISED PARSNIP TARTE TATIN
This savoury tarte tatin makes an impressive vegetarian main, or pairs beautifully with roast venison, pork or beef.
Serves 4-6
3–5 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2cm rounds 1 tbsp olive oil 30g light muscovado sugar 2 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar 50g unsalted butter Plain fl our, for dusting 300g all-butter puff pastry Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Heat the oven to 190C/gas 5. Bring the parsnips to the boil in a saucepan of salted water, then parboil for 5 mins. Drain and rinse under cold water until they are cool enough to handle.
Heat the oil in a 20cm/8inch ovenproof frying pan or tarte
tatin pan over a medium heat. Arrange the parsnips, cut-side down, in a single layer as neatly as you have the patience for. Season well.
2 Fry the parsnips for about 5 mins, without turning, until nice and golden.
3 Mix the sugar and vinegar with 3 tbsp of water and add to the pan. Dot the butter across the top and watch it melt in. Turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 10 mins.
4 If the pan is looking a little dry, add another 1–2 tbsp of water, then turn off the heat.
5 On a lightly fl oured work surface, roll out the pastry to a thickness of about 3mm. Use a dinner plate as a template and cut around it to make a neat circle.
6 Place the pastry circle on top of the parsnips and tuck in the edges. Prick several times with a
Top Tip: If you have any leftover pastry, simply re-roll, sprinkle
over some grated hard cheese, fold in half and roll again. Cut into 1cm-thick strips and twist them before scattering over more cheese and some salt and pepper. Bake at 190C/gas 5 for 10–15 mins, or until puff ed up and golden.
fork to allow the steam to escape and bake for 20–25 mins, or until crisp and golden.
7 Leave the tatin in its pan for 10 mins, before turning it out by inverting it onto a serving plate. Pour any juices from the pan over the top and serve as a vegetarian main course with a lightly dressed green salad, or as an accompaniment to roast beef, game or pork.
Too Good To Waste: Making Magic Out of Forgotten Food by Victoria Glass, published by Nourish Books
Roll-out: Sweet or savoury shortcrust would be a traditional roll-out pastry. Roll-out pastry allows you to achieve a thin, crisp base to your tart, but can be a little more tricky to use when lining the tin. Chill your pastry in the fridge before attempting to thinly roll out on a fl oured surface. Once rolled, carefully drape the pastry sheet over your rolling pin and transfer to the tin. Use a ball of leftover pastry to press the pastry sheet tightly into the corners of the tin.
Free-form: Free-form tarts are often the quickest and simplest to make. Grab either pre-made puff or shortcrust pastry and add your fi lling within a rough border. For puff , simply score the border so the sides can puff up whilst baking, or if using shortcrust, fold over to seal in the contents in a ‘galette’ style tart. Always egg wash the exposed pastry if you want that glossy, golden fi nish.
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