Pear, Leek and Gruyere Turnovers

Source: Bon Appetit, March 2001

2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped leeks
1 6-7-ounce firm but ripe pear, peeled, cored and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese, packed
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; stir 1 minute. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until leeks begin to brown, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Stir in pear and sugar. Increase heat to medium; sauté uncovered until any liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; cool. Stir in cheese and chives.

Place puff pastry sheets on work surface. Using a 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet pan or bowl as aid, cut out 4 rounds from each pastry sheet. Roll out each pastry round to 5-inch circle. Place leek mixture on half of each pastry round, dividing equally. Brush pastry edges with egg glaze. Fold pastry over filling, pressing to adhere. Press edges with fork to seal. Brush turnovers with egg glaze. Pierce pastry in several places with toothpick. Place on baking sheet. Chill 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400º. Bake turnovers until puffed and golden, about 18 minutes. Serve warm.

My notes: In order to not waste the puff pastry, I made these using the spiral method. Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle. Spread pear mixture eveny over both sheets. Roll pastry, starting at the long end, being sure to roll tightly. Seal the seam by brushing on a bit of the egg glaze and pinching. Chill log for about 30 minutes to one hour, or until log is firm enough to slice easily. Slice log into 1/4-inch think rounds. Chill rounds for 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 400º for about 15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

Asparagus and Tomato Cheese Tart

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 bunch (about 1 1/2 pounds)
asparagus, trimmed
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
Kosher salt and freshly ground
pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16x10" rectangle. Place the pastry on a heavy baking sheet. With a knife, lightly score the pastry 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce the pastry inside the markings at 1/2" intervals to prevent the dough from rising too high. Place pastry in the middle rack of the oven. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

While the pastry is baking, blanch the asparagus in a large pot of boiling, salted water until virantly green and tender, about 4 minutes.

Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and sprinkle with the Gruyere. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer over the Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Sprinkle the quartered tomatoes over the tart and finish with a layer of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and return to oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tomatoes are soft.

I talked about this recipe HERE.