On your marks, get set, go! Asparagus season has at long last begun, but there are only about six short weeks left before it comes to an end for another year. So let’s make the most of it by with a recipe that celebrates the entire asparagus all the way from its fibrous butt to the delicate tip. I like thick stems of asparagus best, but their bases can be tough. Cutting them into thin rounds should be enough to make them palatable and delicious.
Asparagus, wild garlic and almond tart
Wild garlic and asparagus come into season at about the same time and pair really well, as evidenced by today’s creamy tart. If you can’t find or forage wild garlic, any other green leaf will do, including nettle tops, spinach or kale; otherwise, simply add more leeks.
Cracking an egg to make an egg wash usually creates a surplus, because so little of it is actually needed for that task. Instead, crack the eggs for the tart filling into a bowl and use some of that as your egg wash, before adding the cream or any other filling ingredients. The amount you’ll use is so negligible, it won’t affect the recipe. And use any excess pastry to make my malfatti biscuits, topped with emmental and seeds.
Serves 6-8
For the shortcrust pastry case
200g wholewheat flour, preferably spelt, plus extra for dusting
100g cold butter, cut into small cubes
Salt and black pepper
1 egg
For the filling
3 eggs
350ml double cream
1 bunch asparagus
100g dark green leek tops, finely sliced
30g butter
100g wild garlic, or an other leafy green such as spinach or kale
200g cheese odds and ends (eg, goat’s cheese, cheddar and wensleydale), cut into small cubes
50g almond slivers
To make the pastry case, put the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a blender and blitz until the butter is combined finely into the flour. Add the egg and a tablespoon of cold water, then pulse three to five times. Open the top and squeeze together a lump of the pastry – if it doesn’t form into a ball, add another tablespoon of water and pulse again. Repeat if necessary. Turn out the pastry on to a worktop, then, using your hands, bring it together into a ball. Put in a bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to about 5mm thick, then use the pastry to line a greased 20cm tart case, making sure you push it right down into the base and corners. Trim any excess pastry, but leave a few millimetres overhanging the lip to counteract the pastry shrinking (keep any offcuts to make biscuits and bake them alongside the tart case). Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Prick the base all over with a fork to help stop the pastry puffing up, then bake for 20 minutes, or until just cooked.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Whisk the three eggs in a large bowl, leaving a little to egg-wash the cooked pastry. Using a pastry brush, paint a layer of egg over the pastry, which will fill any holes or cracks that may have appeared. Return the tart case to the oven for three minutes, then leave to cool.
Whisk the double cream into the egg bowl, and season generously.
Cut the asparagus into 10cm lengths, then cut these in half lengthways through the tips. Cut the asparagus offcuts into roughly 1cm-thick rounds (if the butt ends are very fibrous, peel them before cutting).
Saute the leek tops in the butter for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chopped asparagus ends, add the wild garlic (stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly shredded), and cook for two minutes more. Take off the heat and stir in the cheese.
Scatter the vegetable mixture evenly into the blind-baked tart case, pour over the egg and cream mixture, then arrange the spliced asparagus tips on top. Scatter over the almond slivers and bake in a 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 oven for about 35 minutes, or until only just set. Serve warm with a salad or leave to cool before slicing and serving.
