This gluten-free tart is perfect for hazy summer days. Serve it alongside a massive green salad or slice it up and take it into work for a satisfying lunch al desko.
Make Melissa Hemsley's fig, feta and almond tart
Melissa Hemsley's Syrian-inspired summer tart is just one recipe from a whole host of fantastic dishes in the new #BakeForSyria charity cookbook. Do good with food by picking up your copy, now
Serves 8
Preparation time 40 mins
Cooking time 1hr10
Ingredients
For the pastry case
- 375g ground almonds
- 2 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 30g butter, room temperature
- 2 medium eggs
For the filling
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large red onion, finely sliced
- 2 fat garlic cloves, finely diced
- 5 eggs
- 250ml almond milk or regular milk
- 100g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large handful fresh parsley
- 1 tsp dried thyme or oregano or rosemary
- 1 tsp sumac
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 125g feta
- 4 medium figs, halved
Method
- Mix the pastry ingredients by hand to form a dough and then roll into a 3mm-thick disc between two sheets of baking parchment. Line a 24cm-diameter ceramic flan dish or tart tin with the almond pastry, trimming away any excess. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans and chill in the fridge for 20 mins.
- Preheat oven to fan 180°C. Put the bean-filled, chilled tart case in the oven to bake for 10 mins, then remove the baking beans and paper and cook for a further 10 mins until slightly browned. Set aside and reduce the oven temperature to fan 170°C.
- Meanwhile, gently fry onion in the butter in a large pan for about 12-15 mins until caramelised. Add the garlic to cook for the final few mins.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and almond milk, add the onion and most of the crumbled feta (saving a little extra for topping) before seasoning with salt and pepper, thyme and sumac.
- Pour the egg mixture into your pre-baked tart case. Top with the halved cherry tomatoes and halved figs (cut side up) and push them down slightly. Crumble over the remaining feta and a sprinkling of parsley and cook for 35 mins until golden brown on top and just set in the middle. Allow to cool for 15 mins before diving in.
From #BakeForSyria charity cookbook curated by Lily Vanilli with support from Clerkenwell Boy and Serena Guen of SUITCASE Magazine. All proceeds from the sale of the book go directly to Unicef’s appeal for the children of Syria via NEXTGen London.
