Mandarin-Infused Ricotta Tart

bluemoon downunder's Note:

A recipe for a delicious savoury tart; or if you prefer, for four individual tarts. Adapted from a recipe in the August/September 2005 issue of ‘Vogue Australia: Entertaining+ Travel’. The "cooking time" specified below includes the 20 minutes cooling/resting time when the pastry is in the refrigerator (step 2). And the salad ingredients include "lemon vincotto, to taste". See the note at the end of the directions (step 16). I couldn't get Zaar to recognise this ingredient, so it's not included in the ingredients.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 4.0 tarts

PASTRY

• 200 g plain flour
• 100 g butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons cold water

FILLING

• 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 40 g butter
• 1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• sea salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 tablespoon mandarin orange zest, finely chopped

SALAD

• 150 g mixed salad greens
• 2 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced finely
• 60 g pecorino cheese, shaved
• 100 g small kalamata olives
• olive oil, to taste

Directions:

1. PASTRY: Place the flour and butter in a food processor and pulse to combine.
2. Add the egg yolk and water, and again pulse to combine all ingredients, until well-combined and looking like pastry dough. DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH. Roll the pastry into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before rolling it out.
3. Lightly flour the benchtop and the rolling pin, and roll out the pastry evenly so that it is about 5mm thick. Dust lightly with extra flour as needed.
4. Using a 14cm-diameter fluted biscuit cutter, cut out four rounds to line 4 x 10cm diameter individual greased tartlet tins with removable bases. ALTERNATIVE: the pastry can also be used to line a 26cm-diameter tart tin.
5. With your thumb and forefinger, carefully push the pastry into the angles of each mould. Rest the pastry moulds in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before baking.
6. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
7. Line the tart cases with baking paper and cover with pastry weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and paper.
8. Return the tartlets to the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside.
9. FILLING: Bring 1 litre of water to the boil and add the rice and sea salt. Return to the boil and cook for 8 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a large bowl and cool.
10. Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
11. Place the ricotta in a food processor and process until smooth.
12. Add eggs, milk, butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and process until well combined. Stir the ricotta mixture into the rice with the parmesan and mandarin zest.
13. Pour into the pastry shells and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.
14. SALAD: Place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.
15. SERVING: Place each tart on a plate and serve with the salad on the side.
16. NOTE: Vincotto all’limone (lemon vincotto) is a vinegar/wine condiment that enhances the flavor of meats, fish, fruit salad, and ice cream. It has an intense, syrup-concentrated grape flavour, and is available from specialty food stores. In Australia, ring Enoteco Sileno on [phone]. And see http://www.capriflavors.com/vincotto.php.