Mini minted pea tartlets

Name: Mini minted pea tartlets
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 150g of green pea flour, (Hodmedod’s), plus extra for rolling; 1/4 tsp gluten-free baking powder; 50g of unsalted butter, chilled, plus extra for rolling; 15g of hard cheese, such as Parmesan, pecorino or a vegetarian alternative, grated; freshly ground black pepper; 1 large egg, beaten; 400g of fresh peas in the pod; boiling water; ice cold water; 1 large egg; 2 tbsp of yoghurt, or skyr; 1/2 lime, zest and juice only; 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed or grated; 30g of fresh mint, finely chopped; 1 pinch of salt; 1 tbsp of hard cheese, such as Parmesan, pecorino or a vegetarian alternative; 25g of butter, (salted or unsalted – your choice), melted

by Howard Middleton

Item 1 of 1

Canapé
easy
Makes 24
1 hour 30 minutes

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This pretty mini pea and mint tarts recipe is made with green pea flour, an underrated gluten-free flour with a delicious subtle pea flavour. Howard fills them with a vibrant mint and pea filling for a wonderful summertime canapé.

First published in 2016

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With British pea flour now on sale, I took some vegetable patch inspiration for these gluten-free canapés. Sweet as the moment when the pod went pop, fresh peas need the briefest of blanching to bring out their bright colour, and mint and lime add clean verdancy.

Pea flour pastry is a revelation – unlike so many gluten-free pastry doughs, it’s a breeze to work with – no cracking or crumbling – and you can roll it as soon as it’s made, without needing to chill it first. It’s worth investing in at least six tiny boat-shaped tins (I went for the smallest, which are 8cm x 1.5cm), though you could bake round tartlets instead.

Serve with drinks (of course) and a smattering of melted butter on top, though they also go well with a dip of creamy hollandaise or some fresh mint jelly. There’s something about these tartlets that makes them perfect for a wedding – after all, if a beautiful pea green boat is good enough for the Owl and the Pussycat…

Ingredients

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Imperial

Green pea flour pastry

150g of green pea flour, (Hodmedod’s), plus extra for rolling
1/4 tsp gluten-free baking powder
50g of unsalted butter, chilled, plus extra for rolling
15g of hard cheese, such as Parmesan, pecorino or a vegetarian alternative, grated
freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten

Minted pea filling

400g of fresh peas in the pod
boiling water
ice cold water
1 large egg
2 tbsp of yoghurt, or skyr
1/2 lime, zest and juice only
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed or grated
30g of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 pinch of salt
1 tbsp of hard cheese, such as Parmesan, pecorino or a vegetarian alternative
25g of butter, (salted or unsalted – your choice), melted

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Method

Lightly grease at least 6 tiny boat shaped tins (8cm x 1.5cm) – the recipe makes 24 so you’ll be baking in 4 batches unless you have more tins

Preheat the oven to 210°C/gas mark 7 and put a baking sheet in to heat up

To make the pastry, place the pea flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter until there are no lumps visible. Stir in the cheese and black pepper

Add the beaten egg, stir with a knife, and then bring the dough together by hand. It takes a little time to gather up the loose crumbs but you will eventually get a ball of dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll out a quarter of the dough to a thickness of 2mm. I find the easiest way to line the tins is to stamp out circles using a 9cm round cutter, cut these in half, then press the semi-circles in on 1 side and trim the other with a sharp knife

Pop the peas out of their pods and put them in a bowl. Pour over boiling water and leave for 30 seconds or so until they become bright green, then quickly drain, plunge into cold water to stop them cooking further and drain again

Make the filling by whisking together the egg, yoghurt, lime zest and juice, garlic, chopped mint, salt and grated cheese

Spoon scant teaspoons of the mixture into the pastry cases and add 3–5 peas to each. Bake for 10–12 minutes until the filling is just set and the pastry is crisp but not too brown. Slide the tartlets out of their tins to cool and repeat with a fresh batch

When cool, glaze with a smear of melted butter and serve with the drinks and dips of your choice

First published in 2016

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Howard Middleton

Howard is a food writer and presenter from Sheffield, who first caught the public’s attention on series four of The Great British Bake Off, going on to win their affection with his quirky style and love of unusual ingredients.

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