CARAMELISED GARLIC TART

Herbed Caramelized Garlic Tart

Long ingredient list, but don’t be afraid; (insert evil laugh here) There are a few processes, but you could cheat on the pastry with ready rolled puff pastry, but no complaints if you cheat…K? There is nothing quite as sublime as homemade puff pastry, once you realise and accept that you will have to spend a minimum of 5 hours at the gym working off said puff pastry….bring on the duck fat I say! A little experiment with the fat content here, and I must say, it was beautifully flaky, a lot like me really!

NEED:

Pastry;

130g unsalted butter

80g duck fat

250g cake flour

Pinch sea salt

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

40g icy water

 Filling;

50g Romano cheese, cubed

50g vintage cheddar, cubed

50g Jarlsburg cheese, cubed

3 heads whole garlic

25g balsamic vinegar

30g EVOO

2tbsp dark brown sugar

Generous pinch sea salt

1 sprig rosemary, foliage only

80g cream

1 egg

Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

DO:

Pastry;

Place butter into Thermomix bowl and chop for 2-3 sec/speed 5. Place onto a shallow plate or saucer and add duck fat in pieces. Place into the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

Place all pastry ingredients except water into Thermomix bowl and blend for 5 sec/speed 6. You should have a breadcrumb look.

Add water and blend for 5 sec/speed 7. Remove dough and roll out into a rectangle on floured Silpat mat.

Fold each end of the pastry over on top of itself in thirds. Turn the pastry so that the folded edges are on each side of your mat.

Roll again and repeat this process 3-4 times. If the dough becomes sticky at any point, stop, wrap and place into the fridge until easy to work with again. The dough should eventually be in a beautiful even brick shape. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. To speed this process up, place into freezer, but do not leave it in there too long or it will become impossible to work with.

Roll out pastry and line a rectangular baking tray. Place in freezer until filling is ready.

Filling;

Place cheeses into Thermomix bowl and mill for 8 sec/speed 8. Remove from bowl and set aside.

Place garlic cloves and enough water to cover into Thermomix bowl and cook for 10 min/Varoma/Reverse + speed 1. Drain garlic through simmering basket and cool slightly before cutting through whole heads and squeezing out soft garlic from skins.

Return garlic flesh to the clean, dry Thermomix bowl and add vinegar, EVOO, sugar and salt. Cook for 8 min/Varoma/Reverse + speed 1. Set paste aside.

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Without cleaning bowl, place rosemary, cream, egg, salt and pepper to taste into Thermomix bowl and blend for 7 sec/speed 7.

Spread garlic over pastry base and pour egg mix over. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake for 30 minutes on a pastry setting, (heat from bottom element.)

Throw a few fresh chopped herbs on top whilst still hot and serve in pieces with a small herbed salad.