Fig, lardon and dolcelatte tart
About the bake
Try Eric Lanlard's fig, lardon and dolcelatte Tart recipe from his "Tart It Up" book. Eric says "It’s funny how you try a new recipe and suddenly you just can’t stop making it – I think during the week in which I came up with this combination I made it five times! It is my dream light lunch or starter – all the ingredients are well balanced and work so well together."
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 250gAllinson's Plain White Flour
- 1pinchSalt
- 75gWalnuts (chopped)
- 150gButter (unsalted) (chilled, cut into pieces.)
- 1Egg yolk(s) (free range)
- 1 tbspWater (cold)
For the filling
- 8Fig(s) (cut into quarters)
- 2 tspOlive oil
- 100gLardons
- 150gMascarpone cheese
- 2Egg(s) (free range) (beaten)
- 50mlMilk
- 2 tspThyme leaves
- 1pinchSalt
- 1pinchPepper
- 150gDolcelatte cheese
Method
Step 1
Lightly grease a 24 x 7 x 3cm (9 x 3 x 1.in) deep tart tin, or a tin of similar dimensions.
Step 2
To make the pastry place the flour, salt and chopped walnuts in a bowl and rub in the chilled butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Step 3
Stir in the egg yolk, then gradually add enough of the chilled water until the mixture comes together to form a firm dough. Add the water a little at a time, to prevent the mixture from becoming too sticky.
Step 4
Roll the dough out on a floured surface and line the tin. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C, gas mark 6). Once chilled prick the pastry all over with a fork, cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and fill the tin with baking beans. Blind bake for 20 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until the pastry begins to turn golden.
Step 6
Arrange the figs in circles, to cover the base of the tart tin. Put into the oven and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until they begin to soften.
Step 7
Heat the oil in a frying pan and lightly fry the lardons until they just begin to colour. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 8
Place the mascarpone in a medium-sized bowl and stir to soften, then add the beaten eggs and milk and stir until you have a smooth mixture. Season with a little salt and pepper and add the chopped thyme.
Step 9
Scatter the cooked lardons and the crumbled dolcelatte over the top of the softened figs, then pour over the mascarpone and egg mixture. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the filling is set and golden.
Step 10
Serve at room temperature, with some lightly dressed salad leaves.
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