Fig, Thyme and Honey Tart

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 100 grams butter
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4-5 tablespoon ice-cold water

Filling

• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• 1-2 ham steaks, diced
• 100 grams feta cheese, diced
• 250 grams figs
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
• honey to drizzle
• beaten egg or milk to glaze

Method

Preheat the oven to 200ºC.  Grease a 21cm pie dish.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl.  Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Add the parmesan cheese.

Using a knife, stir in sufficient water until the pastry begins to form large clumps.  When a small portion is gathered in the hand and pressed together it should stay together.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly to bring together.  Wrap in greaseproof paper or plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the pastry to a 30cm circle.  Place the pastry in the prepared pie dish.  Spread the ricotta cheese over pastry on the bottom of the dish.  Scatter over the ham, feta cheese and figs.  Sprinkle over the mozzarella cheese and thyme.  Fold the rim of the pastry roughly over the fig mixture, some of the filling will still be showing.  Brush the pastry lightly with beaten egg or milk to glaze.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until golden. 

Drizzle over the honey…..

Food processor method

Put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Pulse in sufficient water, until the mixture forms small moist balls of dough.  Press a small amount of the dough balls together and if they form a mass sufficient water has been added.

Turn out onto a lightly floured bench and bring together.  There is no need to knead pastry made in the food processor as this will have been done sufficiently by the processor.  Wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.