Pumpkin tarte Tatin with whipped feta, fig leaf and cime di rapa

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This sweet-meets-savoury take on the classic tarte Tatin uses pumpkin instead of the traditional apple or pear, making a great vegetarian starter. It is topped with a creamy and salty whipped feta and a crisp cime di rapa leaf (also known as turnip tops or broccoli rabe) for some texture.

First published in 2022

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Pumpkin tarte tatin

Whipped feta

Fig leaf vinegar reduction

  • 50ml of fig leaf vinegar, or a good-quality balsamic vinegar

Cime di Rapa

  • 4 sprigs of cime di rapa, (large leaves)
  • 10ml of olive oil
  • 1 pinch of Maldon salt

Equipment

  • Blender
  • 8cm tart tins 4

Method

1

To make the glaze, place the vinegar in a pan and reduce by two-thirds until you have a syrupy consistency, then leave to cool

  • 50ml of fig leaf vinegar, or a good-quality balsamic vinegar
2

To make the crispy cime di rapa, preheat an oven to 140ºC/gas mark 1. Rub the leaves with the oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes or until the leaves are crisp but still green. Leave to cool then store in an airtight container to keep them crisp

  • 4 sprigs of cime di rapa, (large leaves)
  • 10ml of olive oil
  • 1 pinch of Maldon salt
3

Turn the oven up to 170ºC/gas mark 3. Mix the butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt together and spread across the base of 4 8cm tart tins

4

Peel the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and then finely slice into 5mm pieces. Arrange the slices into the tins in a neat overlapping pattern and bake for 10 minutes

  • 1 pumpkin, small, weighing approx. 200g
5

Cut out 4 circles of pastry the same size as the tins and store in the fridge until needed

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry
6

Once the pumpkin is cooked, place the pastry on top, tucking round the edges of the pumpkin. Pierce a small hole in the centre of each pastry disc then bake for a further 20 minutes

7

Meanwhile, make the whipped feta by placing the feta, yoghurt and olive oil into a blender and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag if you have one

8

Once cooked, flip the tarts out onto plates whilst still warm, otherwise the caramel will cool and glue the tarts into the tins. To serve, brush the warm tarts with the vinegar reduction and sprinkle with a little salt. Place on plates then pipe on some of the whipped feta and top with the cime di rapa crisp

First published in 2022

Growing up in Saudi Arabia, Marwa Alkhalaf had fresh produce practically growing on her doorstep. After falling in love with Iranian food, she now cooks her own modern, ingredient-led take on the cuisine.

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