Asparagus, Arugula, Caper and Hollandaise Tart

• asparagus↗1 пучок

  (about 250 g), trimmed

• eggs↗4
• butter↗250g g
• vinegar↗½‑1 ст. л. tbsp

  e.g., sherry or white wine

• ground nutmeg↗¼ ч. л. tsp
• capers↗1 ст. л. tbsp

  drained

• parsley↗10g g

  finely chopped

• arugula↗30g g
• wheat flour↗200g g

  plus extra for dusting

• cold butter↗100g g

  cut into cubes

• egg yolk↗1

  (egg white frozen for another recipe)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Make the pastry. In a food processor pulse the flour and cold butter into fine crumbs, or rub them together with your fingers. Add the egg yolk and 1½ tbsp cold water, mix until the mixture comes together into a homogeneous dough. Shape it into a disc, wrap in film and chill for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of ½ cm, place it in a 23 cm tart pan, pressing against the bottom and sides. Trim the excess, cover with film and chill for another hour. The dough can be kept in the fridge for up to a day.

3. 3

   Cut the asparagus stalks into thirds, reserving 2 whole stalks for garnish. Blanch the pieces in salted boiling water for 1 minute, drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking. After 15 minutes drain again and pat dry with a paper towel.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C with convection, gas 6). Prick the pastry base with a fork, line the pan with parchment and sprinkle with baking beans. Transfer the pan to a hot baking sheet and bake for 15‑20 minutes until the crust sets. Remove the beans and parchment, bake another 5‑10 minutes until the surface just begins to turn golden. Let cool slightly.

5. 5

   Separate the eggs: pour the yolks into one bowl and the whites into another. In a saucepan over low heat melt the butter, then transfer it to a jug. In a food processor whisk the yolks, then on low speed slowly drizzle in the melted butter until the mixture emulsifies (≈ 7‑8 minutes). Add the vinegar and ground nutmeg, whisk again and season to taste. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, gently fold in 1 tbsp of the sauce, then gradually add the remaining whites in two batches, adding the capers and finely chopped parsley. Pour the resulting mixture into the crust, spread over the blanched asparagus and bake for 25‑30 minutes until the centre sets with a slight wobble. Cool in the pan for 10‑15 minutes.

6. 6

   Trim the reserved whole asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler and slice into ribbons. Arrange the arugula and asparagus ribbons on top of the finished tart. Serve warm.