Tarte Fine with Fillet of Beef, Onion Marmalade, Pecorino & Rocket

Jane Lovett

servings

Produces 8 large squares (or many more smaller ones!)

This easy, rustic, crisp and wafer-thin pastry tart is perfect for entertaining, not least because it’s simply an assembly job when required, and an excellent way of stretching beef fillet to feed a lot of people. Fillet tails are cheaper than the middle cut, too. Good as a starter, main course, or part of a buffet, warm or at room temperature.

Tarte Fine with Fillet of Beef, Onion Marmalade, Pecorino & Rocket

ingredients

  • 1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry (preferably all-butter)

  • 450g beef fillet tails, trimmed

  • olive oil

  • ½ a (325 g) jar of Caramelised Onion Marmalade or Red Onion Chutney

  • 2 good handfuls rocket leaves (or watercress or salad cress)

  • Pecorino Romano cheese, shavings (or Parmesan or Manchego cheese shavings)

  • A few capers

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  • 3 heaped tbsp thick mayonnaise (preferably homemade)

  • 3 good handfuls watercress, any tough stalks removed discarded

  • lime juice, to taste

  • salt & freshly ground black pepper

directions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).

  2. 2. Unroll the pastry onto a baking sheet lined with silicone paper or baking parchment. Prick all over with a fork and place the sheet of paper the pastry was wrapped in over the top, followed by another flat baking sheet. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until richly golden & crispy. (Turn over if not browning in the middle, cover & cook a little longer.) Press down very hard on the top baking sheet to flatten the pastry further, then remove the sheet, plus the paper. Leave to cool.

  3. 3. Meanwhile tuck the thin end of the fillet tail/s underneath, so they’re the same thickness, secure with string and smear with a little olive oil and pouring salt. Heat a frying pan until very hot, then seal the fillet well on all sides. 5–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and leave to rest somewhere warm for 15–20 minutes. (Or leave to cool.)

  4. 4. For the watercress mayonnaise, process the mayonnaise and watercress together, then add lime juice and seasoning to taste. Thin with a little warm water if necessary. Put into a serving bowl and set aside.

  5. 5. Transfer the pastry to a board and spread thinly and evenly with onion chutney. Slice the beef thinly, tear each slice into manageable pieces and arrange on top of the onion in a wavy pattern. Mix the rocket leaves with a smidge of olive oil and seasoning and scatter over the beef, followed by Pecorino shavings, a few capers and a final swirl of olive oil. Cut into the required number of slices and serve as is, or transfer to a serving platter, with the mayonnaise.