Comté tart with pancetta, sprout and fennel salad
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 4
- Dietary
- Nut-free
Comté cheese is a smooth and nutty French cheese which works beautifully in a tart. This dish is great for a lunch date with friends or someone special.
Ingredients
For the tart
- 375g/13oz ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
- 2 free-range eggs
- 175g/6oz Comté, finely grated
- 75g/2¾oz Parmesan, finely grated
- 300g/10½oz crème fraîche
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
- 1½ tsp wholegrain mustard
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 85g/3oz smoked pancetta, diced
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 1½ tsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- olive oil
- 250g/9oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and finely sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely sliced
- 20g/¾oz fresh dill, chopped
Method
To make the tart, preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Unroll the pastry and place on the baking tray. Use a small knife to score a 3cm/1¼in border around the edge and prick the middle with a fork.
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt in a bowl and brush the egg wash around the border of the pastry.
Bake for 20 minutes until starting to puff and the pastry has turned a light golden colour.
Place the cheeses in a bowl. Pour in the remaining egg along with the crème fraîche, garlic and mustard. Season with lots of black pepper and mix together.
Take the pastry out of the oven. If the middle has risen, flatten it down once it's cool enough. Spread over the cheese mixture, leaving the border exposed. Return to the oven for 15–20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Meanwhile, to make the salad, cook the pancetta in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crispy.
Scoop the crispy pancetta out of the pan and set aside. Pour the fat into a small bowl. Add the honey, mustard, vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil to the fat and whisk together.
Place the sprouts and fennel in a large bowl. Pour over the honey dressing and add the crispy pancetta and dill.
Take the tart out of the oven, pile on the salad and serve.
