Bluepoint Hospitality chef Harley Peet used to live on this seasonal tart’s namesake farm, where his restaurants still source their eggs and this dish’s fleeting rite of spring: asparagus.

Yields 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 250 grams all-purpose flour
• 160 grams butter, cold, diced (such as high-fat Plugra)
• 1 Tbsp. whole milk
• 2 tsp. fine sea salt

For the vinegar reduction:

• 300 milliliters champagne vinegar
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 5 peppercorns

For the Hollandaise custard:

• 4 egg yolks
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 whole eggs
• 500 milliliters heavy cream or English double cream

For the tart:

• 2 bunches spring asparagus, ends discarded, stems peeled, tips reserved
• 1 small radish, diced or sliced for garnish
• Wild ramps, if you have them

METHOD

For the crust:

In a medium bowl, chop cold butter into flour, using a pastry fork or food processor. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, and salt. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and incorporate, working the mixture as little as possible. Shape dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

For the vinegar reduction:

Add all ingredients in a small sauce pan over high heat and reduce to a final 50 milliliter, about eight minutes. Strain into a small bowl and place off to the side.

For the Hollandaise custard:

Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced by half, then set aside.  In a medium bowl, add yolks, whole egg, and vinegar reduction. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until doubled in volume (aka “ribbon stage”). Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in warm cream. Check seasoning. Set aside.

Final assembly:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For best results, let the dough come to room temperature before final assembly. Using a small amount of flour on your countertop, roll out dough to a 3.5-millimeter thickness, then a 2.5-millimeter thickness. Lightly spray or rub cast-iron pan with butter or oil. Gently lay the dough over the pan and lightly press into the edges, leaving at least 2 inches of overhanging dough at the top. Prick dough a few times with a fork and weigh down with baking weights or dried beans or rice. Bake the empty crust in over for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, remove baking weights, and reduce oven temperature to 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue to bake crust until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, immediately use rolling pin across the lip of the cast-iron pan to remove excess crust. Now, fill the empty crust with veggies. Pour custard over top. Garnish with additional veggies on top. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 35 minutes, or until custard is set. Remove from oven and let stand for at least 30 minutes before serving. Slice and serve.

Recipe + photo courtesy of Harley Peet and Bluepoint Hospitality.