A great dinner party recipe with shortcrust pastry, beef mince combined with rhubarb and plump sultanas in a tangy sauce.
Prep Time: 35 mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients
450g lean beef mince
1 x 500g pack shortcrust pastry
100g fresh rhubarb, roughly sliced
25g sultanas
4 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
Large pinch allspice powder
4 tablespoons good, hot beef stock
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
Extra long fresh chives, to garnish
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C, 180°C Fan, Gas Mark 6.
Roll out the pastry to 5mm/¼inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and use to line four to six 11cm loose-bottomed tartlet tins. Prick the bases with a fork. If time allows, chill for 10 minutes.
Line the tartlet tins with greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove the paper and the beans and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the pastry is dry. Remove and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, place the rhubarb in a shallow pan with the sultanas and water. Cover and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Heat a large, shallow, non-stick frying pan until hot and dry fry the mince for 5-7 minutes until brown. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, seasoning and allspice powder and stock, reduce the heat, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the chives.
Combine the mince and rhubarb mixture and spoon equally into each tartlet. Cover lightly with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.
Garnish the tarts with extra chives and serve on salad leaves.