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This Fennel Tart makes a tasty light lunch, and is perfect in a lunch box or for a picnic.
This recipe is part of a sponsored post for Comté Cheese. All opinions are my own.
A delicious combination of caramelized fennel with smooth and tasty Comté cheese.
Why it works
Fennel is a delicious versatile vegetable. Its anise flavour becomes less sharp and lighter when cooked.
Thinly sliced fennel, lightly sautéed in butter and olive oil till it is slightly browned, becomes caramelized with a fresh crisp sweet flavour which pairs beautifully with cheese.
The cheese
Slices of a young Comté cheese cover the base of the pastry. A young Comté works well for this with its delicate buttery and nutty flavour.
After baking, grate some mature Comté over the top of the fennel for a delicious full-bodied umami flavour.
How to cut fennel
- Wash the fennel.
- Slice off the fronds at the top.
- Cut the fennel bulb vertically down the middle.
- Cut out the hard core at the bottom of the bulb.
- Thinly slice the fennel vertically or horizontally.
How to make it
- In a large skillet, lightly sauté thin slices of fennel till they turn golden. Season and set aside.
- Prepare the pastry and pre-bake it (see here for instructions).
- Line the pastry with thin slices of Comté cheese.
- Cover with the fennel and bake for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with grated mature Comté and snippets of fennel herbs from the fronds.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
More recipes using Comté cheese
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Fennel & Comté Tart
Ingredients
- 500 g shortcrust pastry
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium fennel finely sliced*
- 100 g young Comté cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fennel herbs snipped from the fronds, for garnishing
- 1 tablespoon mature Comté cheese finely grated
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium heat and lightly sauté the sliced fennel till golden brown.
- Preheat fan oven to 170℃/330℉ (non-fan 190℃/375℉), and roll out the pastry.**
- Grease a 9-inch tart case and line with the pastry, pressing down gently, ensuring it comes up just over the sides. Using a fork, make holes in the base of the pastry, then cover with parchment paper and baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove parchment paper and baking beans.
- Turn down the oven to fan 150℃/300℉ (non-fan 170℃/330℉), and bake for a further 10 minutes to dry out the damp areas.
- Allow to cool before covering the pastry with a layer of sliced Comté cheese.
- Cover the cheese with the browned slices of fennel till fully covered.
- Turn up the oven to fan 170℃/330℉ (non-fan 190℃/375℉) and bake the tart for 10 minutes till cheese has melted.
- Remove from the oven, and garnish with grated mature Comté and snippets of fennel herbs, cut from the fronds. Serve the tart warm or at room temperature
Recipe Notes
- How to cut fennel
- Wash the fennel, then slice off the fronds at the top.
- Cut the fennel bulb vertically down the middle.
- Cut out the hard core at the bottom of the bulb.
- Thinly slice the fennel vertically or horizontally.
Browse my site for traditional Indian & Italian recipes, read about great ingredients, and get handy tips for working in the kitchen. Also, check out my restaurant reviews for some great dining experiences!
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