Asparagus Green Tart - Chef Recipe by Masahiko Yomoda

Ingredients

Miso aji amarillo cream cheese:

30 g aji amarillo puree
100 g cream cheese
40 g saikyo miso
10 g kouji liquid

Short-crust pastry:

187 g plain flour
112 g cold unsalted butter
3 g salt
10 g egg yolk
30 g cold water

Quiche appareil:

100 g kale
240 g asparagus
170 g onion slice
10 g konbu powder
200 g water
6 g garlic chopped
Pinch salt
700 g purée
14 peal agar
52 g egg yolk
21 g potato starch

Method

Begin by softening the cream cheese at room temperature for easier mixing.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the aji amarillo purée, saikyo miso, kouji liquid, and konbu juice.

Stir all the ingredients together until the mixture becomes smooth and uniform. You can use a spatula or hand mixer to help incorporate the flavours.

Taste the mixture. If you want it more savory, you can add a little more miso or konbu juice. If you’d like more smokiness, add a touch more of the aji amarillo purée.

Refrigerate the cream cheese mixture for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together. It will thicken slightly as it cools.

Pastry:

In a bowl, combine the flour and salt.

Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use your fingertips to rub it in until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Mix the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Gradually add it to the dry mixture, stirring gently until it forms a dough.

Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to the desired thickness. Line your tart tin with the pastry, trimming the edges as needed. Prick the base with a fork to prevent puffing.

If necessary, line the pastry with baking paper, fill it with weights (e.g., dried beans or rice) and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 20 minutes. Remove the weights for the final 5 minutes if you want a crisper crust.

Quiche appareil:

Cook the kale, asparagus, onion, konbu powder, garlic and a pinch of salt in water until the vegetables are soft. Blend everything together to make a smooth purée.

In a separate pot, dissolve agar in a small amount of water and bring it to a simmer to fully dissolve. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and potato starch until smooth. Gradually combine the warm purée with the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling. Then, add the dissolved agar and stir to combine.

Pre-bake the tart shell, then let it cool. Pour the prepared appareil mixture into the cooled tart shell.

Refrigerate the tart for about 1 hour or until the filling has set properly.

Decoration and garnish:

Blanch the asparagus tips briefly in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes, just until they turn tender but remain crisp and bright green. Transfer them immediately to an ice bath to stop the cooking process and maintain their vibrant colour.

After blanching, cut the asparagus tips neatly into uniform pieces, ideal for garnishing your dish. You can leave them in longer segments or cut them into small pieces, depending on your desired presentation.

Recipe provided by Nikkita