Fennel and ricotta tart with a lemon-dressed salad

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry
• 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and finely sliced
• 250g ricotta
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Zest of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Small handful dill, finely chopped
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

For the lemon-dressed salad
• 1 little gem lettuce, or a few handfuls of mixed leaves
• 1 small shallot, very finely sliced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Get the pastry ready

Heat the oven to 200°C fan. Unroll the puff pastry onto a lined baking tray and score a border about 2cm in from the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through. This is what gives you that nicely puffed edge rather than a tart that looks as though it has lost interest halfway through.

2. Soften the fennel

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced fennel with a pinch of salt and cook for 6–8 minutes until softened and just starting to catch at the edges. You want it sweetened and relaxed, not still crunching away and making a point of itself. Leave it to cool for a few minutes.

3. Make the ricotta base

In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, most of the dill, most of the parsley and a good grind of black pepper. Spread this over the middle of the pastry, staying within the border.

4. Build the tart

Spoon the softened fennel over the ricotta mixture and spread it out evenly. Give it a little extra black pepper and a small pinch of salt if needed. Brush the pastry border with the beaten egg so it bakes up properly golden and crisp.

5. Bake until golden

Bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and bronzed and the filling is lightly coloured and looking properly settled. You want crisp edges and a tart that feels like it knows exactly what it is doing.

6. Make the salad

While the tart bakes, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Add the shallot and leave it for a few minutes so it softens slightly and loses any unnecessary sharpness.

7. Finish and serve

Toss the lettuce or mixed leaves in the dressing just before serving. Leave the tart to sit for 5 minutes once out of the oven, then scatter over the remaining herbs and serve with the lemon-dressed salad alongside.

A couple of helpful notes

- If the fennel bulbs have fronds attached, chop a few of the finer ones and scatter them over the tart at the end. They look the part and taste good too.
- A little Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese over the tart before baking would not hurt if you want a slightly richer finish.
- This is very good warm, but also holds up nicely at room temperature, which makes it useful for lunch the next day.