Vegetarian mains
Delicata squash & harissa tarte tatin
Delicata squash is a real beauty. Not only does it look fantastic due to its flower-like shape when cut into rounds, but it’s also packed with flavour. It's slightly creamier than other varieties, and lends itself really well to light spicing. If you're not a fan of spicy harissa then this recipe also works excellently with red pepper pesto.
Cook's notes
You can use shop bought pastry if you don’t fancy making it yourself. However, if you’ve got the time, we’d definitely recommend getting into the habit of making pastry; it’s super easy and enjoyable.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 200g salted butter
- 200g plain white flour
- Pinch of salt
- Splash of ice cold water
For the filling
- 1 medium Delicata squash
- 2 tsp harissa paste
- olive oil
- 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds
- 60g feta/sheep’s cheese
Method
For the pastry
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Step 1
Cut the butter into small cubes. Sieve the flour into a bowl, then add the salt. Using your hands, rub the butter and flour together until it forms breadcrumbs. Add a tiny splash of cold water and combine. You want to add as little water as possible until a dough has just formed; this is essential to make the pastry flaky, or 'short'.
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Step 2
Once a dough is formed, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove from fridge, place it on a lightly floured surface and roll in one direction until it has tripled in length. Fold the top third to the centre then fold the bottom up to the top. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat. Cover and return to the fridge for 10 minutes.
For the tarte tatin:
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas 6. Cut the squash in half lengthways and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut into halfmoon shapes, about 5 mm thick. In a bowl, combine with the harissa, a little bit of olive oil, the cumin seeds and salt and pepper.
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Step 2
Line an 8" tart tin or a cast iron skillet with greaseproof paper. Arrange the squash in concentric circles. Next, roll out your pastry dough as thin as possible, then cut a circle (use a plate as a guide) and place it over the squash. Poke a few holes in the pastry to allow steam to escape.
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Step 3
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and cooked all the way through. Upturn the tart out onto a plate and crumble the cheese over the top.