Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart

Puff is one of three laminated doughs I learned to make back in the day. Croissant and Danish being the others two. This dough a classic that can be scaled up or down but why anyone would scale it down is beyond me. Make extra and freeze for later.

Puff Pastry Recipe

For the dough (détrempe):

18 ounces all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2.5 ounces soft Euro-style (cultured) butter
8 ounces water
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

For the butter slab:

18 ounces cold Euro-stlye (cultured) butter
4 tablespoons flour

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour and salt and stir on low to combine. Add the butter and continue to stir until it’s evenly distributed, about a minute. Add the water and lemon juice and continue to mix until a dough begins to form. Switch to a dough hook and knead until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds. If there’s still some flour left in the bottom of the bowl, add water by the teaspoon until the dough just comes together. All this can all be done by hand in a bowl if you prefer. 

Wrap the ball in plastic and refrigerate it for at least two hours. When ready to laminate the dough. In words, roll the dough into a rectangle. Put butter on 2/3 of the dough, spread it evenly. Fold the unbuttered 1/3 over and then, fold over with the remaining 1/3. Turn one quarter so the open edge is facing you. Roll and fold in both ends toward the center. then fold in half.

I find that for this recipe, turning the dough a total of six times — two turns then an hour’s rest in the fridge, two more turns then an hour’s rest in the fridge, and so on — is the best way to go. Be warned that this dough is stiffer and more difficult to roll than croissant or Danish dough. Use a very big pin.

For the asparagus (makes 2 tarts)

2 pounds asparagus

2 cups cheese, Fontina, Comte,

4 eggs

1/4 cup half and half

1 large shallot

Nutmeg

ground mustard

salt and pepper

the zest of a lemon

Roll the pastry 20x16. Cut in half. Prick the dough with a fork and bake at 400 do 10 minutes

Blanch the asparagus. Mix the cheese and eggs and seasoning, all but the lemon. Spread on the puff leaving and edge free. Lay the asparagus over the top, spray with cooking oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Grate zest over top. Cut and serve.