Caramelised Pumpkin and Spinach Tart with Paprika, Caraway Seed and Cheese Pastry

, from Issue #61. September, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Caramelised Pumpkin and Spinach Tart with Paprika, Caraway Seed and Cheese Pastry

This beautiful pastry case can be topped with any of your favourite roasted vegetables. Try beetroot, carrots, fennel, mushrooms and, when in season, lightly cooked asparagus is delicious too. See the notes below for easy assembly.

Serves: 6–8

INGREDIENTS

Pastry
150 grams plain flour 
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
100 grams butter, diced and chilled    
½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 egg yolk
2-3 tablespoons cold water

Filling
800 grams pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1cm thick wedges (I used crown) 
olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
3 cups packed baby spinach leaves (120 grams)
⅓ cup sour cream
3 eggs
⅓ cup cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
100 grams soft blue cheese
sea salt and ground pepper

35cm x 11cm rectangular loose-based tart tin

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.

Pastry: Place all the ingredients, except the egg yolk and water, in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Combine the yolk with 2 tablespoons of the water and add to the mixture. Pulse until the dough just starts to come together, adding the extra water if necessary. 

Tip onto the bench and finish bringing the dough together by hand. Divide in half and form into two flat discs then wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. 

Roll the chilled pastry out on a lightly floured bench and line the tin. Chill or freeze until firm.

Filling: Place the pumpkin on a lined baking tray, brush with olive oil and season. Roast for 20 minutes or until just tender and lightly golden. Cool.

Heat a little oil in a sauté pan and cook the onion, garlic and thyme with a good pinch of salt until soft. Add the spinach and turn until wilted. Cool.

Whisk the sour cream in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, cream, mustard and nutmeg and season well. Pour into a jug. 

Place the tart tin on a flat baking tray. Sprinkle half of the blue cheese over the base then top with all of the onion mixture. Add the remaining blue cheese then arrange the pumpkin over the top. Carefully pour the cream mixture over the pumpkin. Don’t let the mixture overflow or the tart will stick in the tin. 

Bake for 15 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 150°C.

Continue to bake for another 35 minutes. Loosely cover the top of the tart with foil if it’s overbrowning. The tart should feel firm to the touch with no uncooked liquid in the base. Cool for 1 hour before removing from the tin. 

Cook’s Tips: The pastry recipe makes enough for 2 x 20cm round or 2 x 35cm rectangle tarts and will freeze for up to 2 months. The filling is for 1 tart, so double if making two.

To make it easier on the day of serving, the pumpkin and the onion/spinach base can be cooked 2 days ahead. Make the pastry 1 day ahead. Line the tin, cover and freeze until ready to assemble. Make the cream mixture on the day of cooking.