Tarts are a bit like salads, there can be one for every day. Tarts can be a lunch main item or family diner main or a side. Tarts are very versatile. There are the “every day tarts” and the “special occasion tarts”. They can be served simply in the tart dish or on a serving dish.
The pastry
The three main pastry types are:
- The shortcrust pastry (pate brisée)
- The sweet shortcrust pastry (pate sablée), and
- The puff pastry (pate feuilletée)
From there, there are many variations especially when it gets to the sweet shortcrust pastry when used as a base for cakes.
The shortcrust pastry is by far the most commonly used. Many people are surprised when they learn that it is used for savoury and sweet tarts. It is much better homemade, and can be done in advance. You can also make a larger quantity and keep in the fridge for a few days or freeze in portions of 150 to 200 grams.
Shortcrust pastry consists solely of flour, half the weight of the flour of butter and a bit of water, I will add the method later.
The shortcrust pastry is most commonly used for strawberry tarts, lemon tarts and chocolate tarts. I use the same recipe to make shortbread biscuits for the kids. I have never tried a bought version (yes, this means that it is that easy!).
The puff pastry requires a bit more time and technique but it is not hard and I find it quite fun to make. I have now made it a few times. I make a large batch, cut into portions and freeze. Depending on where you live, you may find some good ones at the supermarket, but watch out for the ingredients, it should contain butter and not margarine.
Savoury Tarts
The most known of the savoury tarts is the quiche. A quiche is essentially based on eggs and cream. If you add bacon dices (lardons), it is a quiche Lorraine. The quiche Lorraine is a children favourite! The steamed broccolini on the photo was added after cooking purely for decoration! I had served the quiche with a few bunches of steamed broccolini. With the quiche, I love a cheese quiche and an Asian mushroom quiche: I love using Asian mushrooms and placing them as if doing a landscape on a large quiche, they also taste great!
I also love and often make the following:
- red-pepper (capsicum) tart. It is quite light. Salty with the sweetness of the capsicum.
- a spinach tart. This is a perfect dinner dish.
- an onion tart. Handy when you run out of fresh food, there are always a few onions around.
- a “flamiche” or leek tart, really delicious, this is a specialty from Northern France.
- a mustard and tomato tart
I use the puff pastry with onions or when doing a light tomato tart. Puff pastry can also come handy if it comes already rolled or ready to roll (i.e. no need making a shortcrust pastry).
Sweet Tarts
Fruit tarts are often made using the shortcrust pastry, typically apple tarts and pear tarts for an everyday meal would be done so. The elaborate version of apple tart / pear tart may use puff pastry or a sweet shortcrust pastry (or variation of). The simple fruit tart is very easy: roll your pastry, place in the tart tin (no need to butter the tin by the way), cut your fruits in slices, place them in a round shape. You can choose to just add a couple of nuts of butter and a bit of sugar or a small mix made of one egg, 1/2 cup of milk or cream and a bit of sugar. For those fruits like pears that typically give away a lot of juice, you will need to add 1 big tablespoon of almond meal. The almond meal will soak up the juice and prevent a soaked pastry at the bottom of the tart.
Fruit tarts are a great use of fruits which are very ripe or need to be used rapidly. It is a double hit: you don’t throw away those fruits and your family gets desert!
For a simple strawberry tart, prepare a sweet shortcrust pastry, place it in the tin by either rolling it or by pushing it into the tart tin with your fingers. Make dots with a fork on the basis to prevent the formation of bubbles, cook until lightly golden. Place strawberries on top and brush them with red currant or apricot jam warmed and slightly diluted with water. A more elaborate version would be to add a layer of creme patissière below the strawberries. Pastry shops which may prepare the tart more in advance than you would at home, often add again another layer (sponge or almond-based) to soak up liquids and prevent the pastry to become soggy.
Lemon tarts come in two kinds: the one where the lemon filling cooks into the tart and the ones where the lemon curd is made ahead. For the one alike a quiche, I like Julie Goodwin’s lemon and lime tart recipe.
Pastry left over….
And if there are small pastry left over, you can:
Shortcrust pastry
- Make one or several tartlets with fruits from the fruit basket or frozen berries. Alternatively, you can put some jam in the tartlets.
- Do an afternoon tea for the kids: place the scarp together, roll, place on baking paper, put a bit of brown sugar on top. An option is to add a drizzle of thickened cream. Then bake on a tray.
Sweet shortcrust pastry
Make a ball, roll to 6 mm thick, use a shape or a kitchen glass to make biscuits, place on a baking sheet and bake.
Puff pastry
- Place leftover puff pastry on a tray, pre-cut them in long strips and grate cheese on top, you can also add chilli, ground coriander or fresh herbs. It will make a good appetizer.
- Another use for puff pastry leftover is to push them down a buttered muffin tin and fill with creme patissière (assuming you have some handy), egg-wash the sides, sprinkle a bit of sugar on top of the egg-wash and bake.
