Previously, I shared with you how to make the versatile base Pate Brisee and why I was inspired to start baking tarts. I also shared how to make an apple tart using that base. Today I will explore a more savory option: the vegetable tart.
Pre-Covid, I often served this dish at dinner parties. It was a popular choice for me, not just because it’s tasty, but because it can be made in advance. The dough can be frozen so it can be made a week or month in advance, and the filling can be made the day before. It can be baked the morning of and served at room temperature for dinner or if you wish it to be warm, just heat it in the oven or a toaster oven and it will be just as delicious as if it had been freshly made.
This is rather a time-consuming dish. However, guests will be pleased by your effort. You can make a mini size (2.5inch/6cm) and serve it as a hand-held antipasto, or make it a little larger (4inch/10cm) and serve it on a plate as an appetizer. It’s a versatile tart.
This pate brisee contains sugar, so to be exact, it is pâte brisée sucrée. It is most common to not use sugar when making savory tarts such as quiche, however when I tried both ways… the one with sugar was the winner. The amount of sugar is very small but the saltiness of the filling and the slight sweetness of the dough definitely has an impact.
Tips for lining a tart ring with dough
I like to use a tart ring (cercle à tarte), which is a ring with no bottom. You can use a regular tart or pie mold.
I’m using only half of the dough made with the original pate brisee recipe. It can make two 4inch/10cm tarts. Here are some tips for rolling out the dough.
Extend this to a circle of about 6inch/15cm and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Immediately after taking out the dough, the dough still cracks hard, so leave it a little softer, then lightly dust it, pick it up, and lay it on the tart ring placed on the baking sheet. Lightly dust your fingertips with flour and start lining the ring with the dough, but instead of pushing the dough from above, the dough is slid from the outside to the inside and gently folded. By lining it in close contact with the ring so as to eliminate the air gap at the corner (the part where the side and bottom of the tart meet), it prevents shrinking. The temperature of your hands will melt the butter, so you can proceed quickly, but if it takes time and the dough becomes too soft, return it to the refrigerator and cool it each time.
After lining it in the ring, roll the rolling pin from the inside to the outside to cut off the excess dough. Put it back in the fridge, let it chill for 30 minutes, dock (prick with a fork) the bottom and corners of the dough with a fork, and the dough is ready. Make two of these.
If you want to put it out as antipasto, you can make 4 pieces using a 2.5inch/6cm tart ring.
Vegetable Tart
For Two 4inch/10cm tarts, or Four 2.5inch/6cm tarts
Pâte brisée: Using half the amount of this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- Pâte brisée (half the amount of the recipe / reference above）
- Egg white
- 1 egg
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 5 leaves basil
- 1 tbsp. parsley
- 2 small plum tomatoes
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 small carrot
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 small onion
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 c Parmigiano Reggiano
INSTRUCTIONS
Line a tart ring with dough:
- Line a tart ring with the dough (see "Tips for lining a tart ring with dough" above) and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.
Make fillings while letting the dough rest:
- Sauté the onions in olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes until they are translucent.
- Add red bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, add about 2 tablespoons of water, cover and steam over low heat for about 7 minutes. Be careful not to burn it.
- Uncover and return to medium heat, add carrots and cook for about 5 minutes until soft.
- Add zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes until soft.
- Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add all the herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
Blind-baking:
- Line the chilled dough with parchment paper or foil. Fill the inside with pie weights and bake in an oven heated to 200°C/400°F for 10 minutes.
- Remove the weight, brush the interior of the still warm crust with a beaten egg white, and bake for another 2 minutes.
Finishing:
- Just before the blind-baked crust is ready, combine the vegetable filling with the beaten egg and Parmigiano.
- Take the blind-baked crust out of the oven and pour the filling into the crust.
- Reduce the heat to 190°C/375°F and bake for 25 minutes until cooked.
[Photos and styling by Hitomi Watanabe Deluca]
