Strawberry Tart with Mint & Frisée Salad
from Louis Maldonado of CortezServes 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 4-inch-square puff pastry squares
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 lemons, zest removed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 shallots, minced
6 sprigs picked tarragon
1 bunch chives, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup fromage blanc
1/2 bunch mint leaves, torn into thirds
4 heads frisée, torn into small pieces
12 strawberries, cut into 1/8-inch slices
4 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
On a floured surface, cut puff pastry dough into 4-inch squares, working fast to ensure the dough doesn’t get too warm. Pierce the pastry dough all over with a fork and, following manufacturer’s instructions, bake in middle of oven until pale golden. Cool shells completely on baking rack.
To make vinaigrette, combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, shallots, tarragon, chives, salt, and pepper in a bowl, and let sit for 45 minutes at room temperature.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine cream and fromage blanc and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble tart, take the already baked tart shells and spread with fromage blanc mixture. Layer top with sliced strawberries and bake for 6-8 minutes at 350 degrees.
Toss mint and frisée with the vinaigrette.
To serve, cut the tart diagonally, place greens on top of the tart, and garnish with a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar.