Recipe: Asparagus, ham and gruyere tart

Asparagus, ham and gruyere tart. Photo / Babiche Martens.

ASPARAGUS, HAM AND GRUYERE TART
Serves 6

Pastry
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 120g butter
• 1 egg
• 50g sour cream

Filling
• 1 cup grated gruyere
• 1 spring onion, sliced thinly
• ½ cup chopped ham
• 1 bunch asparagus, blanched
• 2 eggs
• 200ml cream
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 34cm x 10cm tin.

2. First make pastry - place flour, salt and butter into a kitchen processor. Blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg and sour cream, blend until dough is formed.

3. Place dough on to a lightly floured bench. Roll pastry large to fit your tin, carefully fitting it in. Cut off edges and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

4. Line pastry with baking paper and rice. Place it into oven for 15 minutes, then remove paper and rice and bake for another five minutes. Remove from oven.

5. Into pastry base sprinkle half the cheese, spring onion, ham and lay asparagus.

6. Whisk eggs and cream together. Season with salt and pepper. Pour carefully over asparagus. Sprinkle on remaining cheese. Bake in oven for 40 minutes until golden and just set. Remove and serve hot or at room temperature.

- VIVA