Goat’s cheese and rosemary tarts with beetroot jelly and glazed pear wafers

Serves 8 Starters and mains

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Method

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/ Gas 5 and line an oven tray with baking paper.

Cut the pears lengthways into 2mm thick slices and discard the outer pieces.

Spread the caster sugar on a plate and coat the pear slices evenly on both sides. Place on the oven tray and bake for about 15 minutes, then carefully turn the pears over and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp.

Cool for 2-3 minutes then transfer to a clean sheet of baking paper to set.

To make the jelly, place the beetroot, 125ml cold water, sherry vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend to a pulp.

Transfer to a sieve lined with muslin and allow the juice to seep through. You will have approximately 150ml liquid.

Soften the gelatine leaf in about 150ml cold water for 5 minutes then squeeze out the water.

Place the beetroot liquid and gelatine in a small saucepan and heat very gently until the gelatine has dissolved. Transfer to a plastic container and chill until set.

Turn out the jelly and cut into cubes.

For the tarts, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

Unroll the pastry sheets and cut out 8 circles 1cm larger than the goat’s cheese. Prick the middle of the circles with a fork and transfer to an oven tray lined with baking paper.

Cut the cheese into 8 slices and place in the middle of the pastry circles. Top each one with a little rosemary and a few of the walnuts then drizzle with honey, some of the walnut oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 15 minutes until the pastry is risen and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

To serve, toss the salad leaves with the remaining walnut oil, vinegar and some salt and pepper.

Arrange the tarts on plates and dot the beetroot jelly around. Top with salad leaves, the pear wafers, extra walnuts and serve with a little of the dressing.