I have just posted a review of Michel Roux Cheese, a tour of the cheese world in 100 recipes from a master chef. This is the recipe Suzi and I will start with as we explore this book. It’s the perfect weekend snack food: filo, veggies, and goat’s cheese. You can pair with wine or beer. Take a bite, let the filo flake away and enjoy the warmth of that cheese as you get the tang of the veggies.
Perfect party food. Even if the party is just you and your spouse.
Michel notes that this can be a year-round recipe. Let the vegetable here be whatever is seasonal. Try mushrooms with spinach. Or cherry tomatoes. Substitute for the herbs: basil instead of thyme.
Filo Tart with Mediterranean Vegetables and Goat’s Cheese
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion (ideally red)
- 1 courgette (about 180g), trimmed [courgettes are zucchinis in Great Britain!]
- 1 small, firm aubergine, trimmed [or eggplant]
- 1 small green pepper, halved, cored and deseeded
- 1 small red pepper, halved, cored and deseeded
- 150ml light olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, cut into slivers
- 1 thyme sprig, leaves picked
- 2 small fresh goat’s cheeses, each cut into 4 or 6 pieces
- 4 sheets of filo pastry
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Cut the onion into 8 wedges. Cut the courgette into 1-inch slices and the aubergine into pieces about ¾ by 1 inch. Cut both peppers into roughly 1-inch pieces.
Heat 100ml of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the aubergine and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, then add the onion and peppers and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Add the courgette and garlic and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring. Sprinkle in the thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Finally, add the pieces of goat’s cheese, increase the heat and cook for another 2 minutes until the vegetables are lightly colored and about three-quarters cooked. Transfer to a dish, cover with cling film and pierce it in several places with the tip of knife. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Brush a loose-based 7 or 8 inch square pan, about 1 ½ inches deep, with some of the remaining olive oil.
Lightly brush a sheet of filo with oil and gently press it into the oiled tin. Repeat with the remaining 3 sheets of filo. Using scissors, trim off any excess pastry overhanging the edges. Fill the filo pastry case with the vegetable and cheese mixture and fold the edges of the filo inwards to form a rim. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Slide the tin onto a wire rack and leave the tart to rest for a few minutes before removing from the tin. Serve hot, cut into squares.
Source: Michel Roux Cheese [Quadrille Publishing, 2017]