PHOTOGRAPHY
BEN DEARNLEY
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
JONATHAN LOVEKIN
STYLING
KIRSTEN JENKINS
MERCHANDISING
EMMALY STEWART
THIS RECIPE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN
THE NEW YORK TIMES
.
FETA& HERBFILOTART
(COVER RECIPE)
SERVES 88 sheets (about 200g) 40cm x 30cm
filo pastry
45g unsalted butter, melted(^1) / 2 cup (100g) feta, drained, crumbled
(^2) / 3 cup (50g) finely grated pecorino
2 tbs each roughly chopped flat-leaf
parsley, tarragon leaves and mint
4 eggs
(^3) / 4 cup (180ml) double cream
(^1) / 2 cup (125ml) milk
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Brush one of
the filo sheets lightly with melted butter
and place, buttered-side up, in a 25cm
round tart pan, pressing the pastry into the
corners. Brush another sheet of filo with
butter and lay on top of the first piece,
pressing it into the pan at a 45-degree
angle to the first sheet. Continue twice
more (using 4 sheets total), covering the
base and side of the pan with a uniformly
thick layer of filo. Trim the overhanging
pastry, leaving 1cm over the edges of the
tart. Set both pan and pastry scraps aside.
Take another sheet of filo (unbuttered
this time) and place the long side in front of
you. Fold the bottom edge up to form a
fold 3cm wide. Continue folding the pastry
in alternating directions (as if you were
making a concertina fan) until you end up
with 1 long pleated strip. Repeat with the
remaining sheets of pastry in the same
way.(If thepastrybreaksortears,patit
back into place and continue as if the torn
pieces were still connected.)
Starting from the middle of the tart pan,
coil 1 folded strip from the middle
outwards to start forming a rough snail,
spreading the strips roughly 1cm apart.
(You want visible gaps between the filo
strips, so you can fill them with chunks of
feta and the custard.)
Join the end of the pastry with the
second strip and continue forming the snail
until the 4 sheets have been used. You may
still have some space around the edge,
which you can fill with the scrap trimmings,
folding them in the same way as best you
can. Brush the pastry carefully with
remaining butter and set any pastry coils
upright if they’ve fallen over. Place the tart
pan on a baking sheet and bake for 15-18
minutes until the pastry is a dark golden
brown. Remove from the oven and set
aside to cool for 20 minutes.
Place feta, pecorino and herbs in
a medium bowl and mix to combine.
Set aside. In a separate medium bowl,
whisk together eggs, cream and milk with
(^1) / 2 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper.
Gently press cheese and herbs in the
gaps of the pastry, being careful not to
break the pastry base. Pour the custard
over evenly, drizzling in just a little at a time
and allowing it to soak evenly into all the
gaps. Bake for 25-28 minutes until the
custard has set and the cheese has
browned. Serve warm.
INTO
THE FOLD
Yotam Ottolenghi lets us in on his clever way with filo pastry.
Is it a savoury tart? A quiche with a crunchy twist? The star chef
says both, and with luscious feta and cream, plus a blast of
fresh herbs in the mix, we’re nodding our heads in agreement.34 delicious.com.au
YOTAM OTTOLENGHI.