Beetroot and labneh savoury tart

A beautiful tart is the perfect picnic centrepiece. Roasting the beetroot and finishing it with honey creates the most lovely sweetness, which is offset by the slight sourness of the labneh.

Credit: Savannah van der Niet

• serves

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 3 medium beetroot, peeled and cut into thin wedges
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp honey
• 200 g (7 oz) ricotta
• zest of ½ lemon
• 1 egg
• 100 g (3½ oz) labneh
• 25 g (1 oz/¼ cup) walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp rosemary leaves

Pastry

• 225 g (8 oz/1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
• 75 g (2¾ oz) chilled butter, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbsp iced water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Arrange the beetroot slices on a baking tray and drizzle half the olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with the salt and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the beetroot slices are beginning to soften and crisp up. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the honey. Set aside and keep the oven warm.
2. While the beetroot is roasting, make a start on the pastry. Combine the flour, butter and salt with your fingertips until small crumbs form. Add the egg yolk and iced water and bring the dough together with your hands into one ball. Place in a bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Chill for at least 15 minutes.
3. While the pastry is resting, mix the ricotta, lemon zest, egg and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
4. Line a round baking tray with baking paper. On a well-floured surface, roll out the pastry dough into a large, thin circle, no more than 5 mm (¼ inch) thick. Transfer carefully to the lined baking tray; don’t worry if it hangs over the sides of the tray for now.
5. Pour the ricotta mixture into the centre of the pastry and spread evenly to about 3 cm (1¼ inches) from the edge. Arrange the beetroot slices on top, then add the labneh, swirling it or placing blobs evenly around. Scatter the walnuts and rosemary over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
6. Fold the rim of the dough up and over the edge of the filling, then work around the whole tart, crimping the edges up and over.
7. Bake the tart for 20–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked on the bottom. Serve hot or at room temperature.

 

Recipe and images from The Shared Table by Clare Scrine, Smith Street Books, RRP $39.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.