Asparagus,
Cheese and Egg Tartlets
These delightful
tartlets contain a combination of melted cheese, lightly sautéed asparagus tips and
whole, lightly baked eggs.
They are simple to prepare and just need popping into the oven 12 – 15 minutes
before they are served. Vegetarians might like to know that a vegetarian
parmesan-style cheese is available.
Serves : 6
Ingredients:
FOR THE
FILLING:
7oz / 200g Asparagus Tips
5oz / 150g Gruyère Cheese, finely grated
6 Large Eggs
2oz / 50g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely
grated
1 dessertspoon Olive
Oil
Salt and Freshly
Milled Black Pepper
FOR THE
CHEESE PASTRY:
2oz / 50g Soft Butter, at room
temperature
4oz / 110g Plain Flour
1½oz / 40g Strong
Cheddar Cheese, finely grated
½ Level tsp Mustard
Powder
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
1 Beaten Egg, for the
glaze
Instructions:
- Pre-heat
the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 350°F / 180°C.
- First
of all make the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour, then add the cheese, mustard and cayenne.
- Mix
with just enough cold water to make a smooth
dough.
- Now
place the dough in a plastic bag and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Then
roll out the pastry as thinly as possible and stamp or cut out 6 rounds.
- Line
the tins with pastry, pushing the pastry into the tins and taking great
care not to stretch it – this will stop it shrinking during cooking.
- Bake
the pastry cases for 15 minutes until lightly cooked.
- Remove
them from the oven and brush the base and sides of each with beaten egg.
- Return
to the oven and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Meanwhile,
prepare the filling.
- Wash
the asparagus
stalks and cut them into 1 inch / 2.5cm oblique pieces, heat up the
dessertspoon of oil
in the frying pan, and gently sauté them for 5 minutes, keeping them on
the move so that they don't burn.
- Now
divide the grated Gruyère cheese between the tartlet cases,
spreading it out over the base and then place the asparagus
pieces around the edge of each one, keeping the tips turned up to make a
nice pattern on the top.
- Next
break an egg into
a saucer or small bowl, then slip it into the
centre of each tartlet.
- Season
with salt and pepper and
sprinkle the tops with Parmigiano
Reggiano and bake in the oven for 12 – 15
minutes, depending on how you like your eggs cooked, but the
white should be all set and the yolk still soft and creamy.
- Serve
immediately because if they wait around the eggs will go on
cooking.
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