Starter - Cheddar and red onion tartlet with a hazy summer salad (Sarah Lett)

Published: Friday, 14 September 2007, 4:58PM

INGREDIENTS

PASTRY
• 50g unsalted butter
• 50g lard
• 200g plain flour
• pinch of salt
• ice cold water, more than a pint
• ice cubes in freezer

• 2 red onions, sliced
• Olive oil
• 100g mature west country cheddar cheese, grated
• cracked black pepper
• salt

SALAD
• 3 or 4 slices oak smoked bacon, pan fried until crispy
• 250g  grown baby asparagus, cooked in simmering water for approx 2/3 mins
• 50g toasted pine nuts
• 1 red sweet pepper (garnish)
• handful of locally grown rocket leaves (garnish)

DRESSING
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• juice of half a lemon
• salt & cracked black pepper, to season 

METHOD

1. To make the pastry, chill some cold water with ice-cubes.
2. In a bowl, combine the sifted flower, salt, butter and lard.
3. Add the chilled water and mix to make a dough.
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for half an hour or overnight.
5. Take the dough out of the fridge and  bring the dough to room temperature
6. Pre-heat oven  to 190 degrees Celsius.
7. In a frying pan, fry the bacon until crisp
8. Slice the onion. And sauté in olive oil in a frying pan for ten minutes
9. Drain off the bacon.
10. On a lightly floured board, roll the pastry into a rectangular. Cut out 2 small circles. Then transfer the pastry to a baking tray and prick lightly with a fork.
11. Lay slices of the onion on the pastry and grate cheese on top. Season with pepper then bake the pastry in the oven for 20 minutes at 190 Celsius.
12. Remove the pastry from the oven.
13. In a saucepan of boiling water, simmer the asparagus for 2-3 minutes then drain and rinse in cold water.
14. In a dry frying pan, toast the pine nuts.
15. To make the dressing, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, honey and seasoning in a jar and shake
16. Slice the red pepper.
17. To serve, arrange the asparagus, break up the bacon into pieces and scatter over the asparagus. Sprinkle pine nuts over the top and drizzle over the dressing serve with the tart some salad leaves and the red pepper.