Caramelized Garlic Tart

Here is a recipe for a delicious Caramelized Garlic Tart that I made last week. I found it in Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi. I substitued a Pate Brisee crust for the puff pastry it called for and also honey for the sugar in the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Serves 8-10

1 Pate Brisee crust for a double crust pie

3 medium heads of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 cup water

3/4 tablespoon of honey

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus a few whole sprigs to finish

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 1/2 ounces creamy goats cheese

4 1/2 ounces hard, mature goats cheese, grated (such as goat gouda)

2 eggs

6 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

6 1/2 tablespoons creme fraiche

black pepper to taste

Make your favorite pie crust recipe, roll into a disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out the dough and fit it into an 11 inch fluted tart pan. Chill the crust for 30 min. in the refrigerator.

Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust and fill with pie weights or peas. Bake the crust for about 20 minutes. Remove the weights and paper and continue to bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until the crust is golden. Remove the pastry from the oven and set aside to cool.

While the tart shell is baking, make the caramelized garlic. Put the cloves in a small saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a simmer and blanch for 3 minutes, then drain well.

Dry the saucepan and return the garlic to it and add the olive oil. Fry the garlic cloves on med-high heat for approx 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and water and bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the honey, rosemary, chopped thyme and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Continue simmering on a medium flame for 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is gone and a thick syrupy glaze coats the garlic. Set aside.

To assemble the tart, break the soft goat cheese into small pieces and put them into the bottom of the crust. Next, grate the hard goat cheese and add to the crust. Spoon the garlic cloves and remaining syrup over the cheeses.

Whisk together the eggs, cream and creme fraiche, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground black pepper to taste. Pour the custard over the tart filling to fill in the gaps, making sure you can still see the garlic and cheese on the surface.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. and place the tart on a rack in the center of the oven.

Bake the tart for 35-40 minutes or until the tart filling has set and the top is golden brown. Remove the tart from the oven and cool slightly. Lay a few sprigs of thyme on top for garnish. Serve with a crisp fresh salad for lunch or dinner...

This is how the tart looks when it's finished baking.... #cravethegoodness