Tomato & Basil Tarts
Submitted by beedie
Tomato and basil puff pastry tarts with vine-ripened slices over a thick tomato coulis. Shatteringly crisp pastry, no soggy bottoms, six individual rounds.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
20 minREADY
35 minA tomato basil tart is summer on a shingle of puff pastry. The flavor is easy. The texture is where most home cooks stumble, because tomatoes are mostly water and puff pastry hates water more than any other pastry on earth.
Two tricks save this recipe from a soggy bottom. First, slice the tomatoes and let them drain on paper towels for a full thirty minutes. You will be surprised how much liquid pools out. Second, the pastry rounds go into the freezer cold, stay there until the oven is fully preheated to 450°F (230°C), and move straight from freezer to hot oven. That thermal shock is what makes puff pastry puff, the cold butter layers flashing into steam all at once.
The thick tomato coulis underneath works as both flavor layer and moisture barrier, keeping the juicy raw tomato slices from reaching the pastry. Scatter the shredded basil just before baking so it releases its perfume into the oven steam without scorching.
Chef Tips
- Use all-butter puff pastry if you can find it. Margarine-based puff tastes flat against the bright tomato and basil.
- Salt the drained tomato slices lightly on both sides during the resting time to pull out even more liquid. Blot one more time before arranging.
- Leave a half-inch border of bare pastry around the edge so it can rise into a crisp golden rim that frames the filling.
- Serve within minutes of pulling from the oven. Puff pastry softens fast as it cools, and nobody wants a limp tart.
Variations
- Scatter crumbled goat cheese or shaved parmesan over the tomatoes before baking for a richer finish.
- Brush the pastry border with beaten egg for a deeper, glossier brown.
- Swap the basil for fresh thyme and finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze for a more rustic tart.
Ingredients
Directions
Quickly roll out the pastry and cut out six 4-5” rounds.
Place rounds on a thick baking sheet and sprinkle with a little cold water.
Place baking sheet in freezer until ready to assemble and bake tarts.
Slice the tomatoes and lay them on paper towels for thirty minutes to drain off excess moisture. This will prevent the tarts from being soggy.
One half hour before serving, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Take the baking sheet from the freezer and spread a layer of Thick Tomato Coulis over the pastry rounds leaving ½ inch rim around the edge.
Arrange the drained tomato slices over the coulis and scatter with shredded basil.
Sprinkle with salt and some freshly grated black pepper then drizzle with oil.
Immediately place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Serve at once.
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