Crispy And Delicious Asparagus And Potato Tart Recipes

FREE-FORM ASPARAGUS & POTATO TART

Steps:

• The morning before you make the pie, put the butter in the freezer - first wrap it in foil, which will help to keep it cold when you grate it later.
• To make the pastry, put the flour in a big bowl and mix in a good pinch of salt and the cheese. Using a coarse cheese grater, grate in the butter - try to hold it as little as possible so it doesn't warm up too much - and stir it in with a knife as you go. When all the butter is in, give it a final stir to make sure all the strands of butter are coated with flour, then quickly stir in 125ml of very cold water. Splash in a little more if it looks dry, then lightly bring the pastry together with your hands. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, bring a big pan of water to the boil, then tip in the potatoes. Boil until just tender, then drain well, slice and allow to cool.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking tray inside. On a large sheet of baking parchment dusted with a little flour, roll out the pastry into a rough circle about 30cm wide, until the thickness of 2 x £1 coins. Brush the mustard over the pastry. Arrange the potatoes, asparagus and most of the gruyère in layers in the centre of the base, leaving a border of pastry that's roughly 5cm all the way around. Season and fold up the pastry edges to enclose the vegetables and cheese, pinching the edges to seal. Whisk together the soured cream and the egg with a little seasoning, then pour into the centre of the tart. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and slide the tart onto the preheated baking tray. Bake for 30 mins until the pastry is golden and crisp. Eat just warm or at room temperature.

OVEN ROASTED RED POTATOES AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a large baking dish, toss the red potatoes with 1/2 the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and 1/2 the kosher salt. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix in the asparagus, remaining olive oil, and remaining salt. Cover, and continue cooking 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Remove foil, and continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes, until potatoes are lightly browned. Season with pepper to serve.

ASPARAGUS AND POTATO TART - JAMIE OLIVER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Also, set a large pot of salted water to boil.
• Trim asparagus spears to fit into a rectangular tart pan (with removable bottom). Toss trimmed asparagus into boiling salted water for about 2 minutes to blanch.
• Boil potatoes for 12 minutes in salted water. Drain.
• While potatoes are boiling, layer phyllo into tart pan, leaving about 1" of dough overhanging the edge of the pan. Butter each sheet as it goes into the pan.
• Mash potatoes with Cheddar and Lancashire cheeses. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add nutmeg and cream. Add eggs and mix well. Pour into tart pan. Lay asparagus spears on top, alternating directions of tips. Brush top lightly with any remaining melted butter. Crimp overhanging phyllo up along edge of tart pan. Put pan on the lowest shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow it to set for at least 15 minutes.
• Serve with a light salad of fresh spring greens.

ASPARAGUS LINGUINE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, snap off and discard the woody ends of the asparagus, then finely slice the spears at an angle, leaving the tips whole. Peel and finely slice the garlic, crumble up the dried chillies, and place both in a large frying pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil and the butter. When the garlic starts to sizzle, stir in the asparagus. Let it start to fry, then add a spoonful of pasta water, cover, and leave to simmer on a low heat until the pasta is al dente.
• Using tongs, drag the pasta straight into the asparagus pan, letting a little starchy cooking water go with it. Turn the heat off, then finely grate in the pecorino and toss together until the fat, cheese and liquid make a natural creamy sauce--loosen with a little extra cooking water, if needed. Taste and season to perfection, then divide between your plates. Finish with a grating of pecorino and a little lemon zest, to taste.