Any tart is only as good as the pastry you put it in. I’ve done a quick step-by-step of my mom’s tried and tested shortcrust pastry that works every time:

Sift 2 cups of organic plain flour
Dice 150g of chilled organic butter and add to flour
Working with just your fingertips (so you don’t overheat the butter and release all the oil), work the flour into the butter until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs
In a separate bowl, beat 2 egg yolks and 60 ml water.
Pour half of the eggmix into the flour and work in
Slowly add the rest bit by bit until your dough holds together - you may not use it all.

Gently knead your dough until it is smooth.
Form it into a ball, wrap and chill for at least I hour
Take the dough out and flatten on a lightly floured surface
DON’T roll backwards and forwards as you will only overstretch the pastry and it will spring back during cooking, making it too chewy
Roll gently but firmly, from the middle up and the middle down.
Checking regularly to make sure that your pastry is not sticking.
Once you have it rolled out, not to thin or it won’t hold the filling, fold it over your floured rolling pin
Slide the buttered and floured tart tin alongside and using the rolling pin, roll the pastry over the tin, easing it down into the corners (or edges if it’s a round tin)
Run the rolling pin along the top of the tin, cutting off the pastry neatly
Prick the base with a fork and chill for 30 minutes
At this stage the pastry can be wrapped and frozen. Take out and bake straight from frozen.
Slice 3 large onions and braise with 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic, some olive oil and seasoning
When partially softened, add strips of sliced bell peppers (no greens - they give you wind)
Add 1 teaspoon of dark brown sugar
When the onions and peppers have some nice colour, mix with 400g of grated mature cheddar and fill your tart case
Add some slices of brie on top and half fill with egg mix (6 eggs : 2 cups cream)
Slide into the pre-heated oven and top up with a jug
Cook @ 200*C for 35 - 45 minutes
NB . My tart tins are large catering size ones and the pastry makes one case. It should make two smaller tins, so you can try both fillings, just halve the filling ingredients

Thank you for trying my recipes.
I hope they fed your mind, body and soul.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS