Peta Mathias’ tarte soleil
Translating to ‘sun tart’ in French, this pastry recipe from Peta Mathias’ latest cookbook is perfect to share between celebrations and the season’s warm rays.
One day my friend and I were walking around the antiques fair in Uzes and we saw a woman walking through it carrying what looked like sunshine in her arms. On closer inspection we discovered it was a tart and asked the woman how she made it. She smiled her big meridional smile and gave us all the secrets of her sunshine tart. Since that day, it is the most popular tart I have ever demonstrated in my cooking classes, both here and in France.
Ingredients
• 2 packets frozen flaky pastry (I like Paneton)
• 1 cup tapenade or pesto, or a mix of both
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with a little milk
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
Method
- Remove the flaky pastry from the freezer or fridge and bring to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cover a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Cut a 32cm circle out of one sheet of pastry (you might have to roll it out a little bit).
- Place the pastry on the prepared baking tray.
- Spread the tapenade or pesto over, leaving 1cm free around the edge. Brush the edge with water.
- Cut the second pastry sheet into a 32cm circle and lay on top of the first.
- Place an upside-down glass in the centre – don’t press it in, just leave it sitting there as a marker. It is the centre of your sun.
- If the pastry has gotten a bit soft, put the whole tray with the pastry in the freezer for 5 or 10 minutes to firm it up. That way it will be much easier to cut. Using scissors, make a cut from the outside edge of the pastry up to the glass. Do quarters first, then eighths, then keep cutting till you have 32 sun rays.
- Remove the glass and start twisting the rays. Gently pick up the first ray about midway and twist twice before placing it down again. Repeat till all the rays are done.
- Brush with egg glaze and sprinkle fennel seeds over.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden.
