Asparagus and feta tart

Asparagus and feta tart
Asparagus and feta tart
Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

  • FOR THE SALAD:
  • 200g radishes
  • 80g frozen peas
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 2tbs olive oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 2tbs finely chopped mint
  • FOR THE PASTRY: 
  • 150g cold butter, cubed
  • 300g self-raising flour
  • 75ml cold water or 1 egg 
  • 1 egg whisked, to glaze
  • FOR THE FILLING:
  • 1 egg
  • 100g feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2tbs finely chopped thyme and extra to garnish
  • 3tbs red onion marmalade
  • 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed of their woody ends and cut into bite-size pieces or left whole

1 First assemble the salad. Remove the tops from the radish and slice them thinly. Soak the peas in boiling water for one minute before draining in a sieve and rinsing in cold water. Place the peas and radish in a bowl with the mint, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and set aside.

2 Next, make the pastry. Place the butter and flour into a food processor and blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. You can also do this using your fingertips or a round bladed knife. Add the water or egg and blitz once more to combine until a dough forms.

3 Place the dough on to a cold work surface, pat gently into a rounded shape, cover with cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (180 fan).

5 Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured worktop, into a 16-inch circle. Place on a lined baking tray.

6 Whisk one egg in a bowl with the crumbled feta, a tablespoon of chopped thyme and three tablespoons of onion marmalade. Mix until combined. No need to add salt as the feta is salty enough.

7 Spread the feta and egg mix on top of the rolled-out pastry disc. Leave a two-inch border around the edges. Arrange the asparagus on top. Pleat the pastry edges up over the filling so it forms a crust and holds in all the filling. Brush the edges of the pastry with the remaining beaten egg and bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling gently set.

8 Serve warm or at room temperature. Before serving, drizzle the tart with olive oil, sprinkle with crunchy sea salt flakes and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

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Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a food writer