Caxton magazines staffFranck Deroche of Blairgowrie, Jo’burg shares some of his favourite French recipes. Spoil your guests by setting a beautiful table and serving this flavoursome dish
INGREDIENTS
For the pastry:
- 300g all-purpose flour
- 3ml salt
- 160g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- about 70ml very cold water
For the filling:
- Dijon mustard
- 20–30 baby tomatoes
- 3 eggs
- 250g crème fraiche
- 250g cheese, preferably Emmental or Gruyère, grated
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 12–16 baby asparagus
- 100g soft goat’s cheese, sliced
- 1T thyme
To serve:
- microgreens
METHOD
- To make the pastry: mix the flour and salt in a big bowl. Add the cubes of cold butter.
- Using a pastry cutter or your hands, mix it together until you have a lumpy/sandy texture.
- Add the water a few spoonfuls at a time, and using your hands, continue mixing the flour and butter. Stop adding water when the mixture sticks together in a ball.
- Seal it in a plastic bag and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour or two.
- When ready to use, roll it out on a lightly floured surface as thinly as possible. Transfer it to a 28–30cm pie dish. Fit it in neatly, trimming the edges so it doesn’t hang over the sides; prick several holes in the bottom with a fork.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Use a spoon to spread the mustard over the raw pastry crust. Put the pastry back in the fridge until you’re ready to fill it.
- To make the filling: remove the seeds from the tomatoes.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the crème fraîche, the grated cheese, plus salt and pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes and pour the egg mixture into the pastry shell. Spread it evenly over the ingredients in the bottom.
- Place the asparagus, the goat’s cheese and the thyme on top then bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Serve warm in wedges with microgreens.
COOK’S TIP: You can keep the pastry in the fridge for a few days.
This recipe serves 8 people
