BUTTERNUT AND BACON TART
Serves 4 Ingredients For the pastry
90g butter
150g plain flour
1 egg yolk
4 tbsp grated Parmesan 1-2 tbsp water
For the filling
500g butternut squash 200g smoked streaky
bacon
1 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
250ml double cream 50ml milk
A small handful of
chopped parsley
To finish
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
In theory, there is little need to peel the butternut squash, but I do here. The skin, however tender, seems at odds with the gentle texture of the tart filling. Add as much water as you need to make the pastry easy to roll, but it is worth remembering that the less water you put in, the less likely it is to shrink in the oven. You will need a 22cm tart tin with a removable base for this recipe.
Method
To make the pastry, cut the butter into small dice and rub into the flour with your fingertips until it has the texture of soft, fresh breadcrumbs. Alternatively, reduce to fine crumbs in a food processor. Add the egg yolk, the Parmesan and the water, a tablespoon at a time, stopping when you have a firm, eventextured dough. Set the oven at 190C.
Peel the squash, halve lengthways and discard the fibres and seeds (you should be left with about 350g). Then cut the flesh into short wedges, each weighing roughly 35g. Place the pieces in a steamer basket and cook over boiling water for 8-10 minutes until soft. Cut the bacon into pieces the size of a postage stamp then fry in the oil in a shallow pan until the fat is translucent and just starting to crisp. Remove from the heat.
To make the custard, beat the eggs, cream and milk, season, then add the chopped parsley.
Place the tart tin on a baking tray and line with the pastry, making certain you have pushed the dough deep into the edges and that there are no tears or cracks. Chill for 20 minutes in the fridge.
Line the pastry case with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and return the pastry case to the oven for 3-5 minutes or until the pastry is dry to the touch. Lower the heat to 180C. Place the pieces of squash in the pastry shell, then scatter over the crisped bacon. Pour in the custard and dust the surface with the grated Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the custard is just set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool until just warm (when tarts such as this are at their most delicious).