Bacon Tart with Pumpkin and Maple
Ingredients
Tart
- 1 sheet store bought frozen puff pastry, thawed (25 cm x 25cm / 10" x 10")
- 8 slices streaky bacon (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (Note 2)
- Oil spray
Pumpkin
- 7 oz / 200g butternut or Jap pumpkin, peeled and roughly diced into 1.5cm/0.5" cubes
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil (only required if roasting the pumpkin)
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Main Instructions - Preheat oven to 220C/425F.
- 2
Main Instructions - Spray a baking tray with olive oil (or grease with butter or oil).
- 3
Main Instructions - Cook Pumpkin either by roasting or microwaving it (see instructions below). Transfer to a large bowl (cools faster) and add butter plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until the pumpkin is smooth and set aside.
- 4
Main Instructions - Cut puff pastry in half (Note 3). Place one piece on top of the other. Place the double layered pastry on the baking tray.
- 5
Main Instructions - Cover pastry with a sheet of baking (parchment) paper (not weighed down, just place it on top of the pastry). Bake for 15 minutes until it has puffed up a bit and it is a very light golden brown.
- 6
Main Instructions - While the pastry is pre-baking, trim the bacon so it is wider than the width of the tart by approximately 1.5cm / 1/2" (Note 4).
- 7
Main Instructions - Remove the pastry from the oven and discard baking paper.
- 8
Main Instructions - Working quickly, spread the pumpkin on the pastry, leaving a 1cm / 1/4" border.
- 9
Main Instructions - Place the bacon on the tart, overlapping each slice. The 8 slices should cover the whole tart.
- 10
Main Instructions - Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until deep golden.
- 11
Main Instructions - Remove from the oven and brush half the maple syrup on the bacon and the pastry border.
- 12
Main Instructions - Place the tart back in the oven for a further 7 to 10 minutes, until the bacon and pastry is a deep, dark golden brown. (Note 5)
- 13
Main Instructions - Remove from oven and brush with remaining maple syrup. Season with pepper if desired.
- 14
Main Instructions - Serve with a light side salad. This tart reheats well in the oven and keeps for 2 days in the fridge, but it is best served fresh out of the oven.
- 15
Cooking the Pumpkin - Roasting: Toss pumpkin in olive oil and roast for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven, then proceed with recipe directions.
- 16
Cooking the Pumpkin - Microwaving: Place pumpkin in a microwave proof bowl (or steamer) with a splash of water. Cover with lid or cling wrap (pierce with a fork a few times if using cling wrap) then microwave on high for 8 minutes. Drain water before use, then proceed with recipe directions.
