Total time: 1 hour Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup goat cheese, at room temperature (4 ounces)

1 large egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature

1 large garlic clove, finely grated or minced

11⁄2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus more for serving 1⁄2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest

1⁄2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup crème fraîche, at room temperature All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface

1 sheet or square all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen

(270-420g; brands vary)

240g thin asparagus, woody ends trimmed Extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp grated Parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper

Red-pepper flakes (optional)

45g Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler

(about 1⁄2 cup)

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 220C. In a medium bowl, use a fork or a wooden spoon to mash together the goat cheese, egg, garlic, tarragon, lemon zest, salt and nutmeg until smooth. Switch to a whisk and beat in the crème fraîche until smooth.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry into a 33-by-28cm rectangle about 2cm thick. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score a 1.5cm border around the edges of the puff pastry.

3. Spread the crème fraîche mixture evenly inside the scored border. Line up the asparagus spears on top, and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and the grated Parmesan over the asparagus.

4. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let it cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours before serving. Then sprinkle black pepper, red-pepper flakes (if using), the shaved Parmesan and tarragon leaves. Drizzle a little oil on top.

Tip:

You can assemble the tart 1 day in advance; but reserve the sprinkling of salt and grated Parmesan until right before baking. Loosely cover the tart and store it in the refrigerator until it’s time to bake.