Name: Perfect match: roast tomato and goat’s curd tart with a young red
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 175 min
Total time: 220 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 3 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling; 10 thyme sprigs, plus 2 tbsp thyme leaves; 300 ml each milk and thickened cream; 5 eggs; 100 gm goat’s curd; 600 gm mixed cherry tomatoes, halved; ½ cup (firmly packed) watercress; 1½ tbsp aged red wine vinegar; ¼ cup (loosely packed) small basil leaves; Shortcrust pastry; 600 gm plain flour, chilled; 300 gm butter, chilled, cut into 1.5cm pieces; 3 tsp white wine vinegar, chilled

Perfect match: roast tomato and goat’s curd tart with a young red

Australian Gourmet Traveller wine match recipe for roast heirloom tomato and goat’s curd tart.

Serves 8

Prep

45M

Cook

2H 55M

Total

3H 40M

Back in the mists of winemaking history, before the introduction of radical new technology such as reliable glass bottles, corks and refrigeration, the vast majority of the world’s wine was drunk very soon after harvest, before it had a chance to spoil, and certainly before the next vintage rolled around. Back in more recent history – the 1970s and ’80s – we saw the rise of Beaujolais Nouveau, a marketing gimmick dreamed up to promote the red wines from that French region by selling newly fermented wines a few weeks after harvest. These days, it’s fashionable once again to drink “new” red wines. Not for pragmatic reasons, or cheap marketing reasons, but for gastronomic ones. Red wine bottled very early retains a lot of the bold, bouncy flavours of the grape, which makes it not only a lot of fun to drink but also particularly delicious paired with the vibrant food of the spring and summer seasons. The sweet acidity of the tomatoes in this dish, combined with the salty tang of the goat’s curd and the herbal green freshness of the watercress, cry out for a young, bright new red wine like the ones I’ve recommended here.

This tart makes a wonderful light and fresh summer lunch or dinner, particularly when paired with a “new” red wine.

Ingredients

3 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

10 thyme sprigs, plus 2 tbsp thyme leaves

300 ml each milk and thickened cream

5 eggs

100 gm goat’s curd

600 gm mixed cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup (firmly packed) watercress

1½ tbsp aged red wine vinegar

¼ cup (loosely packed) small basil leaves

Shortcrust pastry

600 gm plain flour, chilled

300 gm butter, chilled, cut into 1.5cm pieces

3 tsp white wine vinegar, chilled

Method

Main

1.For shortcrust pastry, process flour and 1 tsp fine salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until just combined, then turn out onto a work surface. Combine vinegar with 170ml iced water in a bowl, sprinkle over flour mixture, then bring together with the palm of your hand, smearing the butter to combine. Pat into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (2 hours).

2.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 150C. Place tomato slices on an oven tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with oil, scatter with thyme sprigs, season to taste and cook until well roasted (1-2 hours). Set aside to cool.

3.Increase oven to 180C. Roll pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 30cm round, then line a 26cm-diameter straight-sided tart tin and refrigerate to rest (30 minutes). Blind bake until golden (15-20 minutes). Remove weights and bake until base is golden (8-10 minutes).

4.Layer tomato slices inside pastry. Whisk milk, cream, eggs and thyme leaves together, season to taste and pour over tomato. Dot with goat’s curd and bake until golden and cooked through (20-25 minutes). Set aside to cool to room temperature.

5.Combine cherry tomatoes in a bowl with watercress, vinegar, basil and oil, season to taste, toss to combine and serve with tart.