LIGHT & LUSCIOUS
Winter doesn’t have to be all about comfort food: try these light but warming one-tray bakes & desserts.
ARTICHOKE AND SALTED RICOTTA TART WITH SALSA VERDE
SERVES 6-8
Prep time: 25 min. Cooking: 50 min (plus cooling, resting)
This grown-up tart brims with fresh flavours. If you can’t find fresh artichokes (it being late winter!), use grilled and marinated artichokes (available from delicatessens). Fresh ricotta from the delicatessen will give best results – either buffalo or cow’s milk ricotta will do.
• 185g all-butter puff pastry
• 400g fresh ricotta
• 150g goat’s curd
• 6 large green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
BRAISED ARTICHOKES
• 4 globe artichokes
• 1 lemon, halved, plus 4 peeled strips of lemon rind
• 250ml dry white wine
• 250ml (1 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, bruised
• 4 thyme sprigs
SALSA VERDE
• ¾ cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley
• 2 small garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp capers in salt, rinsed
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 80ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
1. Place the pastry in a 20x30cm lamington tin lined with baking paper. Top with another large sheet of baking paper and fill with baking beans. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. For the braised artichokes, trim the artichoke stalks to 2cm and remove the outer leaves. Trim the outside of the stalks with a small knife, then trim 2cm from the top of each artichoke and halve lengthways. Scoop out fibrous chokes with a teaspoon, then immediately rub the cut surfaces with lemon. Transfer to a large, wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the wine, oil, garlic, thyme and lemon rind. Bring to a simmer and cook until the artichokes are tender (35-40 minutes). Leave to cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Blindbake the pastry until crisp (20-25 minutes); remove the beans and paper, turn the pastry, place another sheet of baking paper on top, as well as the baking beans. Blind-bake until the other side is crisp and golden (20-25 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, beat the ricotta, goat’s curd and 2 tsp sea salt flakes in a bowl until smooth.
5. For the salsa verde, blend the ingredients with a hand-held blender until finely chopped, adding extra oil if necessary.
6. Spread the ricotta mixture over the pastry and top with the artichoke, olives and salsa verde to serve.