Tomato Tart with Pecorino and Basil Creme Fraiche

Difficulty:
1/5

Servings: 6

Ease of Preparation: Medium

This recipe is part of the One BIG Recipe: Cornish Game Hen Dinner

TOMATO TART WITH PECORINO AND BASIL CRÈME FRAICHE

Ingredients:

Tomato Tart:

  • 1 prepared pie dough portion (9-inch/23 cm)
  • 2 ½ pounds (1.2 kg) ripe medium tomatoes, mixed colours
  • 2 sprigs of sage, leaves only, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 sprig rosemary, chopped leaves only
  • 2 sprigs thyme, chopped leaves only
  • 2 sprigs flat leaf parsley, chopped leaves and tender stems
  • 1 ounce (28 g) each pecorino cheese, grated
  • 1 ounce (28 g) parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) balsamic vinegar

Basil Crème Fraiche:

  • 4 large sprigs basil
  • 1 cup (240 ml) crème fraiche
  • Salt and pepper

Special equipment:

  • 1 cup (240 ml) pie weights or dried beans (for blind baking)
  • 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with removable base

 

Method:

For the Tomato Tart:

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Prepare a tart pan by brushing with olive oil.

Pull the pie dough from the refrigerator to come to room temperature.

Slice the tomatoes into thin (1/4-inch/6 mm) slices. Drain on a paper towel for 5 minutes.

Combine the reserved chopped sage leaves with Dijon mustard, season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

Pat the tomatoes dry and combine with the rosemary, thyme, and parsley, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Unroll the room temperature pie dough over the tart pan, pressing in, and cutting away the excess (reserve the scraps for some other use or discard).

Perforate the dough with the tines of a fork to prevent bubbling.

‘Blind Bake’ the dough for a crispier finished product:

  • Use scissors to cut a circle of parchment paper that is just large enough to cover the base of the dough, then lay the parchment into the dough.
  • Pour pie weights or dried beans into the pans over the parchment over the dough, the weight will help to reduce the risk of bubbling (also why it’s called ‘blind’ baking as you can’t see the dough…
  • Transfer the tart pan to the oven to bake for 8 minutes.

Remove the pie weights and parchment from the cooked pie dough.

Brush a few teaspoons of the Dijon-sage mixture onto the tart.

Sprinkle on a bit of the cheese mixture, then make a layer of neatly placed tomatoes, slightly overlapping and alternating colours.

Sprinkle lightly with more cheese, then add another tomato layer, leaving the oil and vinegar in the bowl.

Finish with one light layer of the cheese over the top, then take to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have dried, and the cheese is lightly browned.

When ready, remove the tarts from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature until needed.

For the Basil Crème Fraiche:

Strip the leaves from 4 large sprigs basil.

Rough chop and add the reserved basil leaves to the bowl of a blender.

Add crème fraiche and season with salt and pepper.

Blend until smooth and bright green, then scrape into a container and refrigerate until needed.

To Serve:

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).

Remove the tart from the tart pan and place onto a baking tray, place the tray in the oven for 3 minutes to warm.

Arrange 6 small plates, adding a small round of the basil crème fraiche to the center of each plate.

When warm, pull the tart from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.

Slice the tart into 6 wedges, and transfer the wedges to the plates, slightly overlapping the Basil Crème Fraiche.

Serve immediately.