Root vegetable tatin with candied nuts & blue cheese
A mouthwatering main that will please all. Serve on the big day or make it the star of a Boxing Day buffet or Christmas Eve supper.
Serves 6 Prep 25 mins Cook 50-55 mins
500g block puff pastry
3 slim carrots, about 12-13cm long,
halved lengthways
3 slim parsnips about 12-13cm long, halved lengthways, plus 1 large parsnip, peeled and grated
2 tbsp olive oil
2 heaped tbsp slightly salted butter 5 banana shallots, 3 halved
lengthways, 2 thinly sliced small bunch sage, leaves picked and
finely chopped
4 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and
finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed 100g caster sugar
125ml red wine vinegar
100g vegetarian blue cheese, crumbled FOR THE CANDIED NUTS
50g walnuts, roughly chopped
2 tsp butter
25g caster sugar
3 rosemary sprigs
1 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out the pastry to just larger than a 30cm diameter ovenproof frying pan and use the pan as a template to cut out a round of pastry. Leave in the fridge or a cool place while you prepare everything else.
2 Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the carrots and parsnips and cook for 5 mins. Drain and set aside to dry off slightly.
Heat the oil and 1 tbsp of the butter in the ovenproof pan and cook the sliced shallots and grated parsnips for 1-2 mins over a medium-high heat until just starting to brown, then add a good splash of water to the pan, stir to scrape up any brown bits, turn the heat down slightly, cover and cook for 4-5 mins, stirring every so often. The parsnips should be tender. Add the herbs and garlic and cook for another minute, then tip into a bowl, scraping out as well as you can. Season a little and set aside.
3 Add the sugar and vinegar to the pan and bring to the boil. Cook for a few mins until syrupy, then stir in the remaining butter. Set aside to cool slightly, then arrange the vegetables in the pan, fanning them out. Top with the herby shallot and parsnip mixture, pushing it into any spaces there may be. Lay the pastry over the top of the vegetables and push in the edges a little. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 mins until puffed up and deep golden brown.
4 Meanwhile, put the nuts, butter and sugar in a small frying pan with a pinch of salt. Cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 mins, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and coated the nuts. Add the rosemary for the last min. Tip onto a piece of baking parchment and cool for a few mins.
5 Once the tart is baked, remove from the oven and carefully turn out onto a serving board. Scrape out any bits that are left in the pan and add back to the tart. Bash the nuts to break them up and scatter over, along with the crumbled blue cheese.
PER SERVING 700 kcals, fat 44g, saturates 19g, carbs 60g, sugars 29g, fibre 8g, protein 11g, salt 1.4g