Cheese Piccalilli Tart Recipes

PICCALILLI

Steps:

• Dissolve the salt in the water, and add the cucumber, onions and cauliflower. Cover and leave for 24 hours. Drain the vegetables.
• In a large pan, blend the sugar, mustard and ginger with 5 cups of vinegar. Stir in salt and vegetable mixture, bring to the boil, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Blend the flour and turmeric with the remaining 1 cup of vinegar and stir into the cooked vegetables. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into sterilized canning jars.
• In a large stock pot, pour water half way to top with boiling water. Using a holder, carefully lower jars into pot. Leave a 2-inch space between jars. Add more boiling water to cover them, about 2 inches above the tops. Bring to a boil and cover, processing for 15 minutes. Remove jars from pot. Put jars on a wood or cloth surface, several inches apart and allow to cool. Jars will be sealed.

CLASSIC PICCALILLI (BRITISH PICKLED VEGGIES)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a bowl large enough to hold the water and all of the vegetables, dissolve the salt in the water.
• Add the cauliflower, pearl onions, cucumber, and capers. Stir.
• Put a plate on the vegetables to make sure they stay submerged in the brine.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large stainless steel pan, place the dark malt vinegar, white wine vinegar , pickling spice, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
• Transfer to a ceramic bowl and leave to cool overnight in the fridge.
• Gather the ingredients and remove the brined vegetables and spiced vinegar from the fridge.
• Drain and rinse the vegetables well.
• In a large pot, place the rinsed vegetables. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
• Drain the water and reserve the veggies.
• In a pan, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring thoroughly to avoid clumping.
• Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, being careful not to burn the flour.
• Strain the spiced vinegar.
• Slowly add the vinegar to the butter and flour. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.
• Add the turmeric, mustard powder, and black pepper while stirring well. You now should have a brightly colored, thick sauce.
• Pour the thick sauce over the drained vegetables and stir well, making sure all the vegetables are coated in the sauce.
• Pour into sterilized clamp jars and seal. Preferably, wait at least one week before opening to allow the flavors to intensify.

CHEESE & PICCALILLI TART

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter, yeast extract and a good pinch of salt. Whizz until you have a crumbly mixture that starts to clump. Add 1 tbsp water at a time, whizzing the mixture as you do (we used 2 tbsp water in total). As soon as the dough comes together, stop the processor and don't add more water.
• Tip the dough out onto a work surface and lightly roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
• Remove the dough from the fridge, then roll out on a lightly floured work surface until large enough to line a 20cm fluted (4cm high), loose-bottomed tart tin, with some overhang. Carefully use the rolling pin to lift the dough up and lay it into the base of the tin. Use your hands to encourage the pastry into the base and up the side of the tin, gently pushing it into the fluted edges. Leave any excess overhanging the rim. Put in the freezer for 15 mins and heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 with a baking tray on the middle shelf.
• Remove the pastry case from the freezer and prick the base all over with a fork. Line the inside of the case with a sheet of scrunched-up baking parchment, pressing it into the base and up the side. Pour in baking beans or dried rice or lentils to weigh the parchment down.
• Bake on the hot tray in the oven for 25 mins, then remove the parchment and baking beans and trim off the excess pastry using a small serrated knife. Return to the tray in the oven and bake for another 10 mins. Meanwhile, mix the eggs and the milk together in a jug with some seasoning until combined.
• Remove the tart case from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Spread the piccalilli over the base, then sprinkle over the cheese and carefully pour over the egg mixture. Sprinkle with the onion seeds.
• Return the tart to the baking tray in the oven for 30 mins until the filling is set with a slight wobble in the centre. Leave to cool completely in the tin. Chill until cold, then cut into wedges to serve. Will keep chilled for up to three days.

TOMATO & CURD CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Put the flour, 1⁄2 tsp salt and butter into a food processor and whizz very roughly - you want the butter to stay in fairly large clumps. Tip into a bowl, stir in two-thirds of the cheddar, then bring together to a soft dough with about 100ml ice-cold water - add a little more if you need to. Knead quickly, then wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 mins. Mix the chopped basil or parsley and remaining cheddar into the curd cheese, then season.
• Dust the work surface with flour, then roll out the pastry to a long rectangle. Fold the top third down, then the bottom third up. Roll, then fold three more times to build up the flaky layers. Chill for at least 10 mins.
• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Roll the pastry until large enough to cut a round about 27cm across (use a dinner plate as a guide). Lift the pastry onto a lightly floured baking tray, prick with a fork, then bake for 15 mins. Let cool for a few mins.
• Spread the herby curd cheese over the pastry, taking it almost to the edge, then arrange the tomatoes on top in overlapping circles. Season and bake for 15 mins until the pastry is golden around the edges. Turn oven down to 150C/fan 120C/gas 2 and bake for another 30-40 mins until the tomatoes look quite dried out and the pastry is cooked through. To serve, let the tart cool a little, then drizzle with olive oil. Toss the herbs with more oil, then pile in the middle of the tart to serve.