English pea and goat cheese tart
You will need a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan; the tart shell can be made ahead of time.
Dough:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
½ cup (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into small chunks
Filling:
6 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup creme fraiche
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1¾ to 2 cups shelled English peas
To make the dough: In a food processor, blend the flour, salt, sugar and lemon zest until combined, then add the butter and pulse until it’s the size of small peas. Add 3 tablespoons of ice water, and pulse until the dough just comes together. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic film and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Once it’s chilled, take out the dough and roll into a 12-inch circle. Gently fold the rolled dough into quarters and place in the pan, with the point in the center, then carefully unfold. Fold the edges over, and crimp, trimming excess dough. Prick the bottom of the shell with a fork. Put the tart shell in the freezer for 30 minutes while you heat the oven to 425 degrees and make the filling.
Place the frozen tart shell in the oven, and bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on a rack.
To make the filling: In a food processor, blend together the goat cheese, creme fraiche, pepper and olive oil. Add the fresh herbs, and pulse briefly to combine. Reserve.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with the sugar and salt. Blanch the peas for about 3 minutes, then shock them in a bowl of ice water. Drain, and reserve.
When the tart shell has cooled, spread the cheese filling evenly over the surface, then cover with a single layer of the blanched peas.
Serves 8.