Recipe | Cauliflower tart

There are a couple of processes to this tart, but it’s totally worth the effort.

Use a 35 x 11cm loose-bottomed rectangular tin

—

1 quantity Shortcrust Pastry 1 (see below)

Cauliflower tart

Ingredients

Pickled cranberries

25g dried cranberries 

Juice of ½ lemon 

½ tsp caster sugar

Cauliflower purée

300g cauliflower cut into pieces (you can use some of the stalk) 

1 cup milk 

½ cup cream 

Salt 

Freshly ground black pepper 

1 bay leaf

Roast cauliflower

300g cauliflower, cut into small florets 

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 tsp Ras el Hanout (see below) 

½ cup water

Italian parsley, chopped, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 190˚C fan bake. 

Stir the cranberries, lemon juice and caster sugar together in a bowl and microwave for 10 seconds. Leave to soak for 1 hour or more. 

On a lightly floured bench, roll your pastry into a rectangle big enough to fit your tin, about 4mm thick. Line your tin by rolling the pastry backwards onto your rolling pin and then rolling it forwards onto the tin. Guide the pastry into the corners and down the sides of the tin. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the tin to cut the pastry. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. 

Use the tip of a sharp knife or fork to prick the pastry a few times. Line the pastry shell with baking paper and rice or baking beads. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and rice and cook for another 8 minutes. Leave the base to cool to room temperature. 

To make the roast cauliflower, toss the cauliflower florets in olive oil and ras el hanout. Tip into a small roasting tray just big enough to fit the cauliflower. Pour in the water. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until tender and caramelised. 

For the cauliflower purée, put all of the ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Watch this carefully as milk loves to boil over. Stir from time to time, as the liquid to cauliflower ratio is not quite enough to cover the cauliflower completely. Simmer for about 20 minutes until very tender. Remove the bay leaf then blend the cauliflower with a stick blender until smooth. Adjust the seasoning if needed. 

Leave the tart shell in the tin and fill with the purée. Top with the roasted cauliflower. Just before you are ready to serve, reheat the tart at 180˚C fan bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the tin onto a board or serving platter. Top with the pickled cranberries and some Italian parsley.

—

Shortcrust pastry

Ingredients

250g high-grade white flour 

150g cold butter, diced 

½ tsp salt 

60ml cold water

Method

Place the flour, butter and salt into a food processor with a blade attachment and process to a breadcrumb consistency. Add the cold water and process until just starting to come together. Remove from the bowl and continue bringing the dough together by hand. Form into a ball, flatten a little and wrap in cling film or baking paper. Rest in the fridge for 15 minutes before using.

You can also make this in an electric mixer or by hand.

—

Ras el Hanout

Ingredients

Seeds of 6 toasted cardamom pods (approx. 1 tsp), crushed 

½ tsp fennel seeds, toasted and crushed 

½ tsp ground black pepper 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp ground coriander 

1 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tsp cayenne 

2 tsp sweet paprika 

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tsp salt 

½ tsp sugar 

½ tsp ground allspice

Method

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight jar. This will keep for at least a couple of months, but the flavour will dull the longer you keep it.

— 

Wendy Morgan grew up working in the family bakery Hillyer’s in Lincoln, Canterbury. She went on to train as a chef at Christchurch Polytec and Cordon Bleu cook at the Auckland school of Cordon Bleu. She owned Citron restaurant in Wellington with her husband and fellow chef Rex Morgan. She worked for a number of years for Moore Wilson’s in Wellington producing their ready-to go-food. Wendy and Rex now live in Christchurch enjoying a quieter life with their dog Pepper, growing a kitchen garden.

 

More recipes by Wendy Morgan — 

Mediterranean vegetable strudel

Apricot & blackberry cobbler

Brown butter sage sauce with gnocchi

Crumbed mushrooms with sherry cream sauce