Preparation time 40 minutes – Blind baking/baking time approximately 25 minutes – quantaties for a 28 -30 cms round tin, greased. Serves 4

Ingedients:

To make pastry

• 150 g plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 50 g butter, in pieces cold
• 75 g water

Filling:

• 1 litre water
• 500 g white asparagus, peeled, end cut off and halved
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 180 ml extra thick double cream
• 50 g raclette cheese, diced
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, a little pepper

Method:

• Make the pastry for flour, salt, butter and water (see ingredients above). Roll out to fut greased tart tin, press well into the sides. Prick base all over with a fork. Line with parchment paper and cover base with dried beans.
• Bake blind for approximately 15 minutes towards the bottom of oven preheated to 220 C.
• Remove from oven, remove baking parchment and beans
• To make filling, bring to the boil 1 litre of water in a large pan
• Add to the pan white asparagus, salt, sugar. bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer the asparagus for approximately 15 minutes until just beginning to soften, then drain well.
• In same pan bring to the boil extra thick double cream then simmer over gentle heat for 10 minutes. Then stir in raclette cheese and season with rich of nutmeg, salt and a little pepper.
• Arrange asparagus on the pastry base, pour the cream and cheese mixture over the asparagus.
• Bake for approximately 10 minutes in the middle of the oven preheated to 220 C.
• Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes on a wire rack, remove from tin

Per person: 40 g fat, 12 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 568 calories – recipe & photo from The Swiss Cookbook by Betty Bossi