Tomato manchego tart with paprika pastry
■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 45 mins plus chilling ■ Cook 1 hr 25 mins
1.5kg tomatoes, ideally a mixture of colours and sizes, cut into 5mm slices
250g crème fraîche
2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked, plus a little extra
1 garlic clove, crushed handful of breadcrumbs
25g manchego or parmesan, finely grated, plus shavings to serve drizzle of olive oil
FOR THE PAPRIKA PASTRY
250g plain flour
170g butter, cold and cubed
2 egg yolks
2 tsp paprika, plus a little extra to serve
2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
To make the pastry, put the flour in the bowl of a food processor with 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt and the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks, paprika and thyme sprigs and pulse to a coarse texture. Add Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured worksurface until 4-5mm thick. Use to line a 23cm loosebottomed tart tin. Trim the pastry edges and prick the base with a fork. Lay baking paper over the middle and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 mins, then remove the paper and bake for a further 10 mins. Cool. Meanwhile, put the tomato slices on a baking sheet in a single layer and season with salt. Set aside. Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/ gas 3. Mix the crème fraîche, thyme and garlic in a small bowl with plenty of seasoning, and pat the tomato slices dry. Scatter the tart base with the breadcrumbs to absorb any excess liquid. Evenly arrange a layer of tomatoes. Spoon the crème fraîche mixture on top and smooth out to the sides. Scatter over the cheese. Add a second layer of tomatoes in a spiral, overlapping slightly, using the smallest slices in the middle. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 1 hr until the tomatoes have wilted and softened. Serve warm or at room temperature. Scatter with more manchego, the thyme leaves and a pinch of paprika to serve. The tart will keep for three days, chilled, but bring to room temperature before serving.
