Savoury Dreamz

Sweet shallot and goats cheese tart

The pastry is pretty fiddly - what with the freezin and endless chilling - but man, it's so flakey and crumbly, worth the wait. It's so far from a quiche style tart, so much closer to a filled galette.

To make the pastry:

1 1/4 cups of flour

1/4 tsp of salt 

3/4 of a stick of butter (so yeah, loads)

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup of ice water

2 tblsp lemon juice

Filling time:

12-15 shallots

1 clove of garlic

lots of butter

handful of basil

1/4tsp of thyme

handful of parmesan

150g goats cheese

2 tblsp green pesto

Add the salt to your flour and freeze for one hour. Freeze your butter for one hour too. Then cut the butter up into little bits and gradually work into the flour. It's pretty meditative, this is a good bit, take your time. Then mix up your sour cream, water and lemon juice. Make a well in the crumbly floury / butter and add half the wet mix. Work this in. As big chunks form, remove them and place to the side. Keep removing the big bitz. Then when there’s nothing left in the bowl, roll all the big bitz together in your hand, just until joined. Wrap in cling film and place in fridge for 1 hour. Work on your filling while your waiting. Add lots of butter to a pan, add the whole shallots, chopped garlic, thyme, and ripped basil leaves. Cover and cook on low until the shallots are soft. Add some salt. Then add your handfuls of parmesan. Roll out your sticky dough with lots of flour.  Place on a floured baking tray or tart tin. Place in the hot oven for 5-10mins. Take out of oven - add your filling - crumble goat’s cheese over the top - then a couple spoonfuls of pesto. Place in oven and cook for 30-40 mins on gas mark 6.