Smashed new potato cheat’s tart with asparagus & cheese
Use mint in the salsa verde accompanying this tart because it pairs beautifully with the new potatoes. It makes a stunning dish for a springtime lunch
- Prep:30 mins
Cook:1 hrs 20 mins
- Serves 6
- Easy
Nutrition per serving
- kcal 410
- fat 27g
- saturates 8g
- carbs 29g
- sugars 0g
- fibre 4g
- protein 12g
- salt 0.69g
Ingredients
- 1.2kg new potatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 25g parmesan or vegetarian alternative
- 250g asparagus
- 150g soft goat’s cheese log (one with a rind works well; ensure vegetarian, if needed)
- peppery salad leaves (like watercress or rocket), to serve
- 2 handfuls of mint leaves (or any other soft herbs, see tip)
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
- 6-8 tbsp olive oil
- ½ lemon
Method
To make the salsa verde, tip the mint, capers, mustard and oil into a small food processor. Squeeze in the lemon juice, then blitz to a chunky paste. Alternatively, finely chop the herbs and capers, then tip into a bowl with the mustard and oil, squeeze in the lemon juice and stir. Will keep chilled for up to a day.
Scrub the potatoes, tip into a large pan, then cover with cold water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-25 mins until completely tender. Drain well and leave to steam-dry for a few minutes, then tip back into the saucepan.
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Lightly crush the potatoes in the pan using a potato masher. Add half the oil, then finely grate in most of the parmesan. Season. Mix everything together using a wooden spoon until you have a rough mash, then tip onto a large sheet of baking parchment. Cover with a second sheet of parchment and roll out into a flat rectangle using a rolling pin – it should be a bit bigger than a magazine, and about 1cm thick. Transfer to a baking tray, peel away the top layer of parchment, then grate over the remaining cheese and drizzle over another 1 tbsp oil. Bake for 30-35 mins until deeply golden and crisp at the edges.
