Red Pepper Tart – summer in a mouthful, peppers and basil and buttery pastry.

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24 February 2020 BY Julie Biuso
SERVES: 8

This is summer in a mouthful – sweet, salty and fragrant. Make the most of it while peppers are cheap.

Ingredients

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Rich shortcrust pastry 225g (8 oz) standard flour Pinch of salt 170g (6 oz) butter, diced 3-4 Tbsp chilled water 1 medium (size 6) free-range egg yolk Tart 1 medium (size 6) free-range egg yolk, lightly beaten ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 2 large red peppers (capsicums / bell peppers) 2 large yellow peppers (capsicums / bell peppers) 3 large red onions, peeled and chopped 2½ Tbsp olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup small basil leaves ¼ cup fresh white breadcrumbs 16 black olives, pitted 200g (7 oz) firm feta, patted dry and sliced

Method

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1 Make pastry, roll out and line into a 28cm (11”) loose-bottomed flan ring, and bake blind for 20 minutes as described here. (180°C/350°F 15-20 minutes.) Return pastry to oven for 10–12 minutes, or until lightly browned all over. Remove from oven and immediately brush the bottom and sides of the pastry with beaten egg. Sprinkle with 2–3 tablespoons of the parmesan and set aside.

2 Char-grill red and yellow peppers as described here. Cut peppers into thick strips.

3 Preheat oven to 190ºC (375°F). Put onions in a frying pan with olive oil and cook over gentle heat until soft and lightly golden. Add a few pinches of salt, grind over black pepper to taste, and mix in basil. Spread onion mixture over pastry base and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Arrange peppers, olives and feta on top. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

4 Bake tart in oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese has coloured and pastry is golden. Serve warm, cut into slices.

Photography Aaron McLean http://www.aaronmclean.com