Nici Wickes: Asparagus & Blue Cheese Tart

To celebrate the abundance of asparagus available right now, make this simple tasty tart. 

Serve 4-6 

Ingredients: 

2 bunches (or about 20) medium thickness asparagus spears 

1 sheet puff pastry 

1 egg, beaten with a fork 

150g sour cream or crème fraiche 

100g blue cheese, crumbled 

2 tablespoons caramelised onion chutney (store-bought is fine) 

½ teaspoon sea salt + decent grind black pepper 

Drizzle of olive oil 

Method: 

Heat oven to 200 C.
Trim or snap the tough ends off the asparagus spears.
Line a tray with the pastry, twisting and pinching up the edges to form a rim if you need to. Brush the edges with the beaten egg.
Whisk together the remaining egg with sour cream (or crème fraiche), ¾ of the blue cheese and onion. Spread this over the pastry. Lay the trimmed asparagus on top, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over olive oil.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and cooked on the base too.
To serve, grind over some more pepper and crumble over remaining blue cheese.

Make it yours: 

You could add chopped, crispy bacon or flakes of smoked salmon to this tart if you fancy it! 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.