Caramelized Garlic Tart

Caramelized Garlic Tart

Taken from Yotam Ottolenghi’s "Plenty", quote, "This is one of the loveliest tarts we have made".

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Ingredients:
Serves 4 to 6
Sour Cream Shortcrust Pastry, recipe follows.
3 medium heads of garlic, cloves separated and 
   peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
¾ tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
4 oz. soft creamy goat’s cheese
4 oz. hard, mature goat’s cheese
2 free range eggs
3/8 cup thickened cream
3/8 cup crème fraiche
salt and pepper

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 180c fan-forced (200c non-fan). Use a 10 inch round plate to cut a circle of pastry, then line a 9 inch loose-bottomed tart tin with the the pastry (remaining pastry can be returned to freezer if within 24 hours of defrosting). Line the pastry with baking paper and fill to the top (this supports the sides as well as weighing down base during baking) with baking weights. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until sides look golden. Remove from oven and scoop out baking weights (we use a large plastic measuring spoon), remove paper and place back in the oven for 8 minutes until base of tart is golden. Reduce oven to 325F.
While the tart is baking place the garlic cloves in a saucepan and cover with water, bring to a simmer and blanch for 3 minutes, then drain well. Dry saucepan, return cloves to it add the olive oil. Fry garlic cloves on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and water and bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, rosemary, thyme and ¼ teaspoon salt. Continue simmering on a medium heat for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and garlic cloves are coated in a dark caramel syrup. Set aside.
Coarsely grate the hard goat cheese into the pastry case, then dollop in the goat curd, spoon over the garlic cloves and the syrup. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, creams and ½ teaspoon salt and some black pepper. Pour this custard over the tart filling to fill the gaps making sure that you can still see the garlic cloves.
Bake for 30 minutes or until set and golden at 325F. Remove from oven and leave for 20 minutes or so before removing tart tin, serve at room temperature the same day. Garnish with a few sprigs of thyme and serve with a green salad.

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Sour Cream Pastry 
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks very cold butter, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:
Place flour and diced butter in the freezer 5 minutes before making your pastry.

 In a food processor, pulse the flour, butter and salt until mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Add the sour cream and pulse until just incorporated and starting to form a ball. On a floured surface, pull dough together into a flat disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.