Radish tart

By Richard Bainbridge
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• Garlic cloves: 2–3
• Olive oil: 1–2 tbsp
• Cream cheese: 200g/7oz
• Chopped fresh herbs (such as mint, parsley, dill, and thyme): 2 tbsp
• Lemon juice: 1 lemon (juice only)
• Sea salt
• White pepper

For the Chopped Radish Layer:

• Radishes (washed and roughly chopped): 100g/3½oz
• Olive oil: 2 tbsp
• Lemon juice: 1 lemon (juice only)
• Sea salt
• White pepper

For the Radish Jelly:

• Radishes (roughly chopped): 4
• Rice vinegar: 250ml/9fl oz
• Cider vinegar: 250ml/9fl oz
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Sea salt: 1 tsp
• Agar agar (1.5g per 100ml/3½fl oz radish juice)

For the Feuille de Brick Pastry Cases:

• Sheets of feuille de brick pastry: 2
• Unsalted butter (melted): 50g/1¾oz

To Decorate:

• Radishes (thinly sliced): 2
• Olive oil or rapeseed oil
• Edible flowers
• Sea salt
• White pepper

Method

1. Roasted Garlic:
   • Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C Fan/Gas 5).
   • Place the garlic cloves and a splash of olive oil in kitchen foil, wrapping them into a parcel.
   • Roast in the oven for 45 minutes until soft and fully cooked.
2. Cream Cheese Filling:
   • Spoon the cream cheese into a bowl.
   • Add the roasted garlic and all other filling ingredients.
   • Mix well and season with sea salt and white pepper if needed.
   • Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and set aside.
3. Chopped Radish Layer:
   • Mix all radish layer ingredients together.
   • Season with sea salt and white pepper.
   • Chill until ready to use.
4. Radish Jelly:
   • In a saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients except the agar agar.
   • Gently bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and let it sit for 30 minutes to infuse.
   • Strain through a sieve.
   • Weigh the resulting pink radish juice and add 1.5g of agar agar per 100ml (3½fl oz) of radish juice.
   • Pour the mixture back into a pan, bring to a boil, and whisk.
   • Continue boiling for 2–3 minutes to activate the agar agar.
5. Setting the Radish Jelly:
   • Cover a flat tray with cling film.
   • Carefully pour the radish juice onto the tray and let it set flat for about 30 minutes.
   • Once set, cut out shapes using a tart cutter and chill until needed.
6. Feuille de Brick Pastry Cases:
   • Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C Fan/Gas 5).
   • Brush melted butter onto the first sheet of pastry.
   • Lay the second sheet on top and press down.
   • Cut out the pastry and press it into a metal tart case.
   • Place an identical metal tart case on top and trim the edges with a sharp knife.
   • Transfer to a baking tray and place another tray on top to keep the pastry inside the moulds.
   • Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden.
   • Remove from the oven and carefully extract the pastry case.
7. Assembly:
   • Pipe a layer of cream cheese filling into the bottom of the pastry case.
   • Spoon over a layer of chopped radishes and level it out so it’s even.
   • Place the sliced radishes on top and season with a little sea salt, white pepper and olive or rapeseed oil.
   • Lay the chilled radish jelly on top carefully. Decorate the tart with edible flowers and serve as soon as you can to prevent it from becoming soft.