Asparagus and Gruyere tart

Last weekend I was actually planning to make a crab and Gruyere tart, but unfortunately, there was no crab to be found apart from a small tub that will cost a fortune to make. Always happy to use ingredients that are at hand, I decided to make the tart with asparagus instead. Now is the season for local asparagus, that tastes slightly sweeter.

For the pastry:

225g plain flour
110 g chilled butter
a small glass of chilled water

For the filling:

3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
200 ml double cream
a pinch of nutmeg
100g Gruyere cheese, grated
salt and pepper
a bunch of fresh asparagus, about 12 stalks

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celcius and grease an 8-inch (20cm) baking tin with a removable base.

To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl, then chop the chilled butter into small pieces and drop them into the bowl. Cover the butter pieces with flour and gently rub them with your fingertips until they resemble rough breadcrumbs. Add a pinch of salt and then slowly, a teaspoon at a time, add the iced water until the pastry just comes together.

Push the pastry into the greased baking tin, easing it around gently with your knuckle and making sure the sides are also high enough. Line the top with baking parchment, weigh it down with baking beans if you have them (I didn't), and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Snap the woody end of the asparagus and steam the stalks for 2 minutes, run them under cold water and pat dry.

Combine the eggs with cream and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Beat the mixture thoroughly with a hand electric mixer and then let it stand for 20 minutes. Then beat again and carefully add the grated cheese in. Pour the filling into the case and arrange the asparagus stalks on top. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and filling domed, burnished and puffy.

Allow for it to cool at room temperature before serving. It's delicious on its own or served with a side salad.

The original recipe is from Make Mine a Martini by Kay Plunkett-Hogge

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