Gluten Free Pork and Tarragon Tart with Cabbage and Smoked Bacon

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

 

So, this recipe was modified from the pages of the Master Chef cookbook. It's a pork and tarragon tart with cabbage and smoked bacon and it is amazing. The pork is succulent and tender after absorbing the red wine and balsamic vinegar. The Granny Smith apples add a nice element of tartness to the dish and the charred red onions and garlic round everything out.

I tend to make my shortcut pastry a little bit rich, which helps it to absorb all of the juices from the pork and apples.

Served with a surprisingly yummy savoy cabbage dish, this is a phenomenal meal. I loved it instantly and am making secret plans to have it again. It's a quick meal if you're handy with making pastry dough. Quicker still if you prefer to buy pre-made pastry. The most tedious bit is chopping and dicing, but if you're wanting to work on your knife skills (or have a food processor) that's no problem either.

 Here's what you need:
For the pastry:
3 1/2 oz (100 grams) cold butter
7 oz (200 grams) gluten free all-purpose (plain) flour
a pinch of salt

For the filling:
1 finely chopped red onion
1 chopped garlic clove
3 tbsp olive oil
8 ounces (225 grams) boneless pork
3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) green beans
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp tarragon
1 peeled and diced Granny Smith apple
salt and pepper

For the cabbage:
1/2 Savoy cabbage, shredded
1 tbsp double cream
6 slices of bacon, cut into squares


Here's what you do:
Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C). Rub the butter into the flour and salt in a bowl or using a food processor. Add some cold water until a soft dough is formed. Cover in Saran wrap and chill for about 30 minutes. Roll out and line a pie dish (flan dish) and bake blind for 12 minutes.

In a large saucepan (I used a wok), fry the red onion and garlic in 1 tbsp of the olive oil until softened. Add the pork and green beans and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the pork is well done. Add the vinegar and 2/3 of the wine. Reduce the liquid to virtually nothing, then add the remaining wine and reduce again to nearly dry. Meanwhile cook your bacon in either the broiler or the oven. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the honey, tarragon an the apple.

Spoon the mixture into the pastry case. Cook in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until piping hot. Meanwhile, steam the cabbage for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon and cream. Season to taste. Serve alongside the tart.

The original Master Chef recipe calls for the use of Dijon mustard and zucchini (courgettes). I don't like the taste of Dijon mustard or zucchini so I simply left them out.

Ready for seconds?