Beetroot and horseradish galette + Fennel and parmesan tart

[Celerity]

https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/easy-tart-recipes-using-shop-bought-pastry-dxjphlns2

https://archive.ph/uHrGk

There is something so pleasing about a tart — or indeed a pie or galette or anything that involves good ingredients encased in buttery pastry. Part of the magic, for me at least, is how easy and intuitive they are to cook and yet how good they look when they come out of the oven. They also taste and feel as if you’ve made something proper, as if you really know what you’re doing in the kitchen. Yet once you’ve dreamt up a flavour combination that tickles your fancy, the rest is as easy as, well, pie. You can, of course, make your own pastry, but I like to use ready-rolled, either puff or shortcrust, because life is too short (and busy) to faff around with making it from scratch. The only thing to worry about is a soggy bottom: blind baking before you add the filling helps, as does avoiding any especially watery toppings. The best trick of all is to place a dark metal baking tray upside down in the oven as it heats. That way, when you put your tart onto it, the heat radiates directly to the base. A pizza stone will do the same job (or better even).

Beetroot and horseradish galette



I love the earthy sweetness of the beetroot with the peppery, creamy fire of the horseradish. Everyone has different tolerance levels for heat, so feel free to add more or less horseradish cream to the crème fraîche, and make sure to taste as you go. And if you’re pressed for time, you can skip the step where you roast the beetroot and make this with the ready-cooked kind that you can buy vacuum-packed.

Ingredients

500g beetroot, peeled
100ml clear honey
2 tbsp olive oil
220g crème fraîche
60-80g horseradish cream
320g puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Heat the oven to 180C (200C non-fan). Finely slice the beetroot into rounds. Line a roasting tray with kitchen foil and arrange the sliced beetroot in it, distributing it evenly in the tin. Drizzle over the honey and olive oil and season generously with salt. Cover with foil and roast for 25 min, until tender.

2. In a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche and horseradish (adding more horseradish to taste if you like it hotter).

3. Roll out the pastry on a baking tray. Spoon the horseradish mixture into the middle of the pastry and spread out, leaving a roughly 5cm border around the edge. Arrange the slices of beetroot over the horseradish cream so the pieces are overlapping slightly. Brush the exposed pastry border with egg and then fold the border over the beetroot so it slightly overlaps the filling. Brush the pastry border with more egg.

4. Transfer the tray to the oven and bake for 25-30 min until the pastry is golden.


Fennel and parmesan tart



This is a wonderfully light and cheesy tart: the fennel, just cooked, has a moreishly crisp texture, which is a lovely complement to the buttery pastry. This dish tastes as good at room temperature as it does straight from the oven, so ideal for leftovers, packed lunches and picnics.

Ingredients

2 medium-sized fennel bulbs (about 650g, untrimmed weight)
2 onions (about 200g)
150g grated parmesan
4 tbsp olive oil
60ml double cream
250g shortcrust pastry

1. Heat the oven to 180C (200C non-fan). Thinly slice the fennel and the onions. Combine the slivers of veg in a mixing bowl with the grated parmesan, olive oil and cream, then season generously with salt and pepper. Set to one side.

2. Roll out the pastry and drape over a 10in tart dish, pressing it down into the nooks and crannies. Prick the bottom of the pastry all over with a fork, then blind-bake in the oven for 15-20 min until dry to the touch. Spoon the fennel and onion into the tart case and set back in the oven for 30-40 min until lightly golden all over. Cover with kitchen foil if it looks as though it’s catching. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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