Provence Tomato And Garlic Pistou Tart

February 2023

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With thin cheesy pastry and juicy roasted tomatoes, this is the perfect tart for sharing on lazy sunny days with a glass of rosé and memories of French holidays! Pistou is a French garlic and basil sauce, similar to Italian pesto. In Provence there is also a traditional soupe au pistou which uses the same flavours.

Serves

6-8

Ingredients

For the cheese pastry
175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
115g butter, cubed
55g Parmesan, grated
1 egg, beaten
For the filling
1kg medium-sized ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced
4 tbsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves, halved
3 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
115g Brie, cut into thin slices
For the pistou
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp sea salt
Small bunch of basil (15g)
Small bunch of mint, leaves picked (15g)
75ml olive oil
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. You will need a 33 × 23cm Swiss roll tin.
To make the pastry, measure the flour, butter and Parmesan into a food processor. Whiz until
breadcrumb stage. Add the egg and half a tablespoon of water and whiz again until the mixture comes together. Tip out on to a floured work surface and knead gently into a ball. Roll the pastry out thinly and use it to line the base and sides of the tin. Prick the base with a fork and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Arrange the tomatoes in a large roasting tin.
Place the oil and garlic in a small bowl. Swirl around to coat the garlic in the oil, then pour the oil over the tomatoes. Tuck the cloves between the sliced tomatoes and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Line the pastry with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans. Slide on to the middle shelf of the oven. Place the tomatoes on the top shelf and cook both for 20 minutes. Take the pastry case out of the oven and remove the paper and beans. Return the pastry to the oven with the tomatoes for another five–10 minutes, until the pastry case has dried out and the tomatoes are soft but not mushy. Leave them both to cool slightly in the tins.
Spread the sun-dried tomato paste over the base of the pastry, then carefully arrange the roasted tomatoes in neat rows on top, making sure not to add too much of the juice from the roasting tin. Scatter the garlic cloves over the top and season again. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are lightly tinged.
Meanwhile, to make the pistou, place the garlic, salt and herbs in a food processor and whiz. While the processor is still whizzing, slowly pour in the olive oil to make a soft paste. Add a splash of lemon juice.
Lay the slices of Brie over the warm tart and return to the oven for three–four minutes to melt a little.
Drizzle over the pistou and serve warm with a dressed green salad.