Asparagus And Brie Open Pastry Recipes

ASPARAGUS & CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Put the flour in a bowl, add the butter to the flour and rub in with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the grated cheddar into the pastry and mix. Add 3 tbsp cold water and mix until the pastry forms a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 5 mins. Butter a 20 x 6cm deep loose-bottom tart tin, or a 35 x 12cm rectangular tart tin.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly dust the work surface with flour, roll out the pastry and line the tin. Chill in the freezer for 20 mins, then line the pastry case with baking paper, fill with beans and cook for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, then return the pastry case to the oven for 10 mins.
• Crack the eggs into a jug, whisk, then add the milk and whisk again. Sprinkle half the grated cheese over the pastry case, then add the asparagus, egg mix and remaining cheese (if using a rectangular tin, you may not need all the mixture, so add it gradually). Bake in the lower half of the oven for 30-35 mins or until the egg mix is set.

ASPARAGUS AND BRIE OPEN PASTRY

Steps:

• First preheat your oven to 400°F.
• Take out your large cutting board and dust with flour lightly.
• Gently roll the sheet of puff pastry into a rectangle 16x10 inches.
• Trim the edges if they are crooked.
• With a knife, score (gently) 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle.
• Use a fork and pierce the dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals.
• Randomly scatter some baking beans so the dough doesn't poof up badly (you know, the kind you use when blind baking pie dough!).
• Bake 12 minutes.
• Leave your oven on, but remove pastry from the oven.
• Layer the slices of brie over the top (leave a small edge).
• Cut your asparagus to the width of the pastry and arrange in a single layer over your brie slices (you could make it pretty or whatever by putting top to bottom top to bottom alternating ends that are on each side).
• Brush top with the seasoned olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake 25 minutes.
• Serve!

THE ULTIMATE SPRING QUICHE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, sift the flour and a good pinch of salt into a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Gradually add 125ml of cold water, continuously mixing until it comes together to form a rough dough, adding a splash more water, if needed. Bring it together with your hands, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Snap off and discard the woody ends from the asparagus, then slice the stalks into 1cm chunks, reserving the tips. Blanch the asparagus (including the tips), peas and broad beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 1 minute, then drain. Roughly chop and stir in the spinach so it wilts slightly, then refresh the veg under cold running water. Drain well and place into a large bowl. Trim, finely slice and add the spring onions.
• Finely slice the bacon (if using), then add to a frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry for 5 minutes, or until golden, turning occasionally. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk in the cream, milk and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Chop and stir in the chives.
• On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the rested dough to roughly ½cm thick. Roll the pastry up around the rolling pin, then carefully unroll it to cover a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Gently press the pastry into the tart tin, moulding it to the tin as you go (don't worry if it breaks - patch up any holes with spare pastry).
• Trim away any overhanging pastry, then line with a double layer of clingfilm. Fill nearly to the top with uncooked rice or beans, then bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove the rice or beans and clingfilm, then return the tart case to the oven for a further 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
• Spoon the greens into the pastry case, put the bacon pieces on top, pour in the cream mixture and crumble over the goat's cheese. Place the quiche in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until just set. Leave to cool slightly, then serve with a crisp green salad.

BRIE, APPLE & ONION TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll the pastry sheet onto a large baking tray (leave it on the paper from the pack). If the edges are not straight, trim them with a sharp knife. Score a border, about 1cm in from the edge. Score a criss-cross pattern over the central piece of pastry (this will prevent it from rising too much) and around the border, if you like. Bake for 15 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions and cook for 10-15 mins until softened and starting to caramelise. Stir in the vinegar, bubble for 1 min more, then add the Dijon mustard and thyme, season well and set aside. Slice the apple thinly through the core so a few slices have a nice star in the middle, and remove any seeds. Toss the slices in a splash of vinegar to prevent them from browning.
• The pastry should be puffed and starting to colour. Push down the centre, then spread over the onions. Add blobs of cranberry sauce, then top with the apple slices and brie, overlapping them to cover the tart. Add a few more thyme sprigs, drizzle with a little oil, then put back in the oven for a further 25 mins until the cheese is bubbling and the apple slices are soft. Serve warm or cold.

JAMIE'S BAKED BRIE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stir the shallot, garlic, white pepper, and vermouth together in a small bowl; set aside. Cut the rind off the top of the brie cheese, leaving a 1/4-inch lip around the edge. Place the brie cheese onto a baking sheet, and spoon the shallot mixture over top. Fold the phyllo sheets in half to make square pieces. Wrap the brie with the phyllo squares, tucking the edges underneath of the brie cheese. Trim the corners if needed to avoid tucking too much pastry underneath. You want complete enclosure, but without too much overlap. Brush the top with melted butter to make the pastry brown in the oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the phyllo has turned golden brown and the brie cheese is very soft, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.