Tomato and Almond Tart

Submitted by h.orlando

"From Yotam Ottolenghi's "Plenty More" - A savoury take on the classic French fruit and frangipane tart. Just as in the sweet version, the almond paste soaks up the juice of the fruit (tomato is a fruit, after all), and in so doing creates the most luscious layer of rich, nutty sweetness."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 8 slices
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 140 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, beaten (each 60g net weight)
• 65 g fresh breadcrumbs
• 80 g ground almonds
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 15 g picked thyme leaves
• 100 g ricotta cheese
• 20 g parmesan cheese, finely grated (or vegetarian alternative)
• maldon sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 320 g puff pastry (homemade or shop-bought)
• sunflower oil, for greasing
• 1 kg medium tomatoes, cut into 1cm-thick slices (about 10 tomatoes)
• 12 anchovies packed in oil, roughly torn (optional)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

directions

1. Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. With an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and aerated. With the machine running on medium speed, slowly incorporate the eggs. If the mix splits, add some breadcrumbs to bring it back together, then carry on adding the remaining eggs. Stop the machine, and work in the breadcrumbs, almonds and garlic just until everything is combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using your hands, gently fold in half the thyme, the ricotta, parmesan and half a teaspoon of sea salt. Set aside.
2. Roll the pastry into two 20cm x 30cm rectangular sheets about 2mm thick. Grease two baking trays with a little sunflower oil and lay the pastry rectangles on top. Spread the almond mixture evenly over the pastries with a palette knife, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Lay the tomato slices on top of each sheet in three long rows, with a fair amount of overlap between the rows (tomatoes shrink a fair bit when exposed to heat). Sprinkle over the anchovies, if using, and remaining thyme. Drizzle the tomatoes with half the olive oil and season with some sea salt and a generous grind of black pepper.
3. Bake the tarts for 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and carry on cooking for another 10 minutes, until the base is nice and brown. Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly, then dribble over the remaining olive oil and serve.