Puff Pastry Tarts

This is the easiest way to make good looking food for any occasion, it couldn't be easier, it comes half made! It's basically delicious cheating. Even I can make it and I don't know my arse from my elbow. So get off your elbows and make this tasty morsel (worst joke ever).

You can make your own pastry from scratch, and I applaud you if you do, but I have too much life un-lived to be throwing away time like that. Your basic average pre-made and rolled sheet of puff pastry should make four small pizza tarts. The toppings I have gone for are the pizza classic, ham and cheese, and a more fancy grown up red onion and blue Stilton but experiment with whatever you like; parma ham and rocket is my personal favourite. Wrapped in tin foil these are brilliant parcels to place in a BBQ, close the lid and watch the pastry rise and brown. For those inside an oven temperature of 220°c/200°fan/gas mark 7 for around 10-15 minutes should brown the pastry evenly and create a bubbling molten cheesy centre.

For this you'll need

• Puff Pastry

• Tomato Passata

• Salt & Pepper

• Cheddar

• Basil

• Ham

• Stilton

• Milk

• Red Onion

1) Preheat your oven or BBQ at 220°c/200°fan/gas mark 7. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment; this should be enough for the four pizza tarts.

2) Roll out the pastry and split evenly into four rectangles, placing two on each baking sheet. It makes it easier to fill in place.

3) Fold around a centimetre of pastry from the edge in on itself to create a border running around the outside of the rectangle. This stops the contents escaping and making a mess of your nice oven gloves.

4) Dollop (scientific word) the passata into the middle of the rectangles and use a spoon to push the sauce to the edges. Add as much or as little sauce depending on the desired sauciness but it should be as even layer as you can get it.

5) Then cover in grated cheddar and your desired toppings, I squared the sliced ham and diced the Stilton into cubes. The onions I sliced thinly; you don’t want any topping too thick because they will crisp up before the pastry has a chance to. The pastry will rise in the oven and your toppings will get a lot of heat so keep it all even. The Basil was chopped finely and sprinkled just before the pizza tarts were taken out the oven.

6) Finally brush (or use your finger if, like me, you don’t own a basting brush) a little milk on to the raised edges of the pastry to help it rise and brown nicely, giving you the pizza crust.

7) After everything is cooked and golden, take the puff pastry tarts out of the oven and place on a cooking rack, it's important to let the pastry rest and strengthen a bit. Serve with salad or chips or eat it as it is, writing the recipe on your phone walking around the kitchen…. Like me.

So easy yet so good and suitable for everyone, it’s a good vegetarian alternative at BBQs, and vegan and gluten free pastry is available. When cooking on the BBQ its best to wrap the pizza tarts individually in tin foil and place on the grill on a low-medium heat. Closing the lid allows warm air to circulate and cook the pastry base and the toppings, and its best to check on it every five or so minutes. If you are cooking with an open fire find a hot rock or the lid of a Dutch oven and place on the hot coals, it is not the most effective way of cooking but arguably the easiest. The cheese will be the hottest thing apart from the surface of the sun so watch out for that.

A quick meal for family and friends, everybody wins and apart from third degree hot Stilton burns, I’m feeling good about this one.

Kindest Regards,

J.T.