Asparagus Ham And Mascarpone Tart Food

ASPARAGUS & PARMESAN PASTRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Mix the mascarpone with the Parmesan, basil and lemon zest, then season.
• Lift the pastry onto 2 trays, then score around the edges of each piece to make a thin border. Spread the cheese mixture within the borders.
• Toss the asparagus in the oil, then arrange the bundles on top of the pastry (these can be stacked a bit for height). Bake the pastries for 20-25 mins until golden, then serve warm topped with the dressed salad leaves and a few shavings of Parmesan.

ASPARAGUS AND CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a large skillet. Add the asparagus; cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Drain and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking; drain and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Roll out the puff pastry into a 10-by-16-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, mix the fontina, comte, shallot, egg yolks, milk, nutmeg and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange the asparagus on the tart and bake until the cheese mixture is slightly puffy, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHEESY PUFF PASTRY ASPARAGUS TART

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 220ºC/430ºF. Line a baking sheet with baking/parchment paper.
• To make the cheese mixture, combine the cream cheese, egg yolks, Parmesan, thyme, lemon zest, salt and pepper and mix well.
• Gently roll the puff pastry out into a large rectangle (to fit the baking sheet). Score a border around the edge (taking care not to cut all the way through the pastry).
• Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the puff pastry, staying within the borders then top with the asparagus and season with salt and pepper.. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg.
• Place the tart into the oven and allow to bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked through.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

ASPARAGUS, HAM, AND LEMON

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in prosciutto and cook until crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
• Place asparagus in the skillet, and toss gently until coated with oil.
• Pour in water and cover with lid; cook for 1 minute.
• Remove lid, stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute with lid on.
• Remove lid and cook uncovered until the spears are still crisp but tender, about 2-3 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze lemon juice over the top.

ASPARAGUS UNDER WRAPS

Steps:

• To cook the asparagus: take each stalk in both hands and bend and snap off the woody end, then trim with a knife to make it neater. Lay the asparagus stalks on an opened fan steamer (or an ordinary steamer will do) - they can be piled one on top of the other. Season with salt, place them in a frying pan or saucepan, pour in about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of boiling water from the kettle, then put a lid on and steam for 4-6 minutes. If you're using Fontina, slice it into thin strips using a sharp knife. If you're using Parmesan, coarsely grate it. Now lay the slices of Parma ham out flat on a work surface, divide the strips of cheese along the centre of each slice of ham (or sprinkle with the grated Parmesan if using that), then simply lay an asparagus stalk at one end and roll the whole lot up fairly firmly. All this can be done well in advance; then, when you're ready to cook, lay the rolls on the baking sheet and pop on to the highest shelf of the oven for just 5 minutes, or until the cheese begins to melt. Serve piping hot with a little grated Parmesan to sprinkle over.

ASPARAGUS GRUYERE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
• Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

MASCARPONE, HAM, AND ASPARAGUS TART

Steps:

• To assemble tart, spread filling evenly into cooled crust. Top with asparagus-ham-arugula mixture and serve.

CHEF JOHN'S ASPARAGUS TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Lay puff pastry out on the prepared baking sheet. Fold edges up to create a 1/2-inch wide border. Prick inside base of dough completely with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and puffed, about 10 minutes. Press puffed center down with the back of a fork to deflate.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook uncovered until bright green, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Drain.
• Stir mustard, creme fraiche, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl; spread into the bottom of the cooled tart shell. Lay asparagus spears, trimming as necessary to fit the tart shell, in the center of the tart on top of the mustard spread. Brush melted butter over the asparagus and crust and sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the top.
• Bake in the oven until pastry is browned and asparagus is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

ASPARAGUS-POTATO CHOWDER

Steps:

• Trim the ends off of the asparagus spears and place them in a four quart saucepan. Add the onion that has been quartered, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 8 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Cut the asparagus tips from the stalks, and cut them in half, lengthwise, and cut the rest of the stalks crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the cream and the cornstarch.
• Strain the broth from the saucepan into a bowl and discard the asparagus ends and simmered onion.
• In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the onion begins to brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and mustard and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook, stirring, for one minutes. Add the broth back to the pan, along with the potatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 6 to 9 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove about half of the potatoes from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Turn off the heat, and, using a potato masher, roughly mash the rest of the potatoes in the saucepan. Return the rest of the potatoes to the pan.
• Mix the mascarpone into the pan with a whisk, and turn on the heat to barely simmering. Whisk in the cream and cornstarch mixture into the pan, and simmer on low, whisking constantly, until it thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved asparagus and cook until it is a bright green and just cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and add the dill, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper.
• Serve, garnished with dill fronds and drops of hot sauce.

PEACH & MASCARPONE TART

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix the mascarpone and confectioners' sugar and stir until smooth. Add the orange zest and vanilla extract. Whip the cream until soft peaks appear and fold it into the mascarpone mixture. Spread the mixture into the tart crust. Top with the peach slices. Brush the peaches with the liquefied apricot jam to glaze. Refrigerate the tart at least 1 hour or overnight before serving.

HAM AND CHEESE IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.
• Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on a floured board and carefully roll it out to 10 by 12 inches. Place it on a sheet pan and brush the center with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Place a layer first of ham and then cheese, also leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with the egg wash.
• Place the second sheet of puff pastry on the floured board and roll it out to 10 by 12inches. Place the second sheet on top of the filled pastry, lining up the edges. Cut the edges straight with a small, sharp knife and press together lightly. Brush the top with egg wash and cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve hot or warm.

BAKED SALMON WITH ASPARAGUS, PEA & MASCARPONE RISOTTO (GF)

Steps:

• Finely dice the onion and add to a non-stick pan or high-sided frying pan with some olive oil. Cook over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes until it is soft and translucent.
• While the onion is softening you can prepare the salmon. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan). Place the fillets on a baking tray lined with tin foil, then slice the lemon into half-moon pieces and place on top of the salmon. Lay a second piece of foil over the top of the salmon and crimp the edges of the two pieces to create a sealed parcel. Set aside while the oven heats.
• Now back to the pan, mince the garlic and add to the onion, stirring through for 1 minute untilit becomes fragrant.
• Add the risotto rice and white wine to the pan and turn the heat up to medium. Cook until the wine has been absorbed by the rice.
• Put the salmon in the oven at this point - it will need 15-20 minutes to cook, depending on how you like it. I do 15 minutes (at which point the salmon will be just cooked and nice and juicy).
• While the salmon is cooking we can get on with the risotto. Start to integrate the stock, adding about 100ml at a time to the rice and stirring constantly to avoid the risotto sticking to the bottom of the pan. By adding the liquid gradually you will ensure you don't add too much and end up with a sloppy mess! The rice with quadruple in volume once cooked and if you run out of stock, just add the 200ml water until the rice is nice and soft (or al dente if you prefer it the Italian way). This will take about 15 minutes - don't forget about the salmon, you can take this out of the oven and set aside (still in its parcel) while you finish the risotto.
• When almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, stir the frozen peas and asparagus through the risotto and cook for a final 5 minutes.
• Stir the mascarpone through the risotto, heat for 1 minute, season to taste with black pepper and then it's ready to serve. Spoon the risotto into wide pasta bowls, top each bowlful with a salmon fillet and serve with some fresh rocket salad on the side. Delicious!

ASPARAGUS, HAM AND MASCARPONE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 C, line 2 trays with baking paper.
• Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares, then lightly score a 2.5 cm border around each square.
• Place squares on trays and chill.
• Melt butter in frypan and cook onion for 3 - 4 minutes.
• Finely chop ham in food processor.
• Add onion, mustard and mascarpone and pulse to combine.
• Season to taste.
• Spread mixture within pastry border on each square.
• Top with asparagus spears.
• Brush pastry borders with beaten egg.
• Bake 20 - 25 minutes till pastry is golden.
• Serve topped with parmesan.

ASPARAGUS AND GRUYèRE TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C, 200C fan, gas 7. Blanch the asparagus for 3 minutes then place under cold running water to cool. Cut the spears to around 16cm. Roughly chop the trimmings and blend in a food processor with the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of the mascarpone. Season well, stir in the remaining mascarpone until smooth and set aside.
• Line a baking sheet with baking parchment, then roll out the pastry on to it. With a flat-bladed knife, mark out a 2cm border around the edge. Spread the mascarpone mix evenly within the marked border. Place the asparagus spears on top of the mascarpone mix in a tightly packed row, sprinkle over the Gruyère and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Serve hot from the oven or at room temperature with a crispy salad.