White asparagus tart

This dish will be served in Gary Rhodes' Rhodes W1 restaurant as part of its British Asparagus Fortnight, from 21 May to 4 June.

 

INGREDIENTS
(Makes 16 portions) For the sweet pastry

 

• 150g butter
• 60g sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 250g plain flour

 

For the tart mix

 

• 500g asparagus, peeled and chopped
• 1 litre of double cream
• 300g pasteurised egg yolks
• 150g sugar

 

For the white chocolate and buttermilk ice-cream

 

• 500ml milk
• 500ml double cream
• 12 egg yolks
• 80g caster sugar
• 100g white chocolate
• 80g buttermilk

 

For the black olive syrup

 

• 20 black olives
• 150ml water
• 150g sugar

 

METHOD

 

First, make the sweet pastry. Cream the butter and sugar. When pale, add one egg and a quarter of the flour in four stages, binding everything together to a paste.

 

Place a 12in diameter pastry ring on a baking tray. Roll out the pastry on a cold surface and line the ring with it. Line with cling film and baking beans, and freeze. After 15 minutes in the freezer, bake the pastry at 190°C for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and bake for three minutes. Allow to cool.

 

For the tart mix, boil the cream with the asparagus peelings and chopped asparagus. Remove from the heat and infuse for four hours in the fridge. Strain and reboil the cream. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and sugar together. Pour the boiled cream onto the yolks and sugar, and whisk. Skim, and pour into the tart case.

 

Cook at 120°C until firm but with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool down at room temperature and cut into 16 individual portions.

 

For the white chocolate and buttermilk ice-cream, boil the milk and cream while whisking the egg and sugar together. Once boiled, add the egg yolks and sugar and cook to 82°C. Remove from the heat and pour through a strainer onto the white chocolate and buttermilk. Mix and cool down. Churn and freeze.

 

For the black olive syrup, take 20 black olives and cut the "cheeks" off (either side) around the stone. Boil 150ml of water and 150g of sugar together and add the olives. Cover with cling film and leave to infuse.

 

First, make the sweet pastry. Cream the butter and sugar. When pale, add one egg and a quarter of the flour in four stages, binding everything together to a paste. Place a pastry ring with a diameter of 12 inches on a baking tray. Roll out the pastry on a cold surface and line the ring with it. Line with cling film and baking beans and freeze. After 15 minutes in the freezer, bake the pastry at 190°C for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and bake for three minutes. Cool.

 

For the tart mix, boil the cream with the asparagus peelings and chopped asparagus. Remove from heat and infuse for four hours in the fridge. Strain and re-boil the cream. While it is coming to the boil, whisk the yolks and sugar together. Pour the cream, once boiled, onto the yolks and sugar and whisk. Skim, and pour into the tart case. Cook at 120°C until firm but with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool down at room temperature and cut into 16 individual portions.

 

For the white chocolate and buttermilk ice cream, boil the milk and cream while whisking the egg and sugar together. Once boiled, add the egg yolks and the sugar and cook to 82°C. Remove from the heat and pour through a strainer onto the white chocolate and buttermilk. Mix through and cool down. Churn and freeze.

 

For the black olive syrup, take 20 black olives and cut the ‘cheeks' off (either side) around the stone. Make stock syrup using 150ml of water and 150g of sugar. Just boil them together and add the olives. Cover with cling film and leave to infuse.