Black Bean Tart with Chile Crust

We love Mexican food here at Casa Buker so when I saw this recipe while going through old Gourmet magazines, I figured it would be a hit. Especially the crust. When I read the ingredients for the crust, I was sold.

I was right. The filling was everything I thought it would be.....cheesy and crunchy and beany.....but the spices in the crust really pulled it all together.

Topped with a little Lime Sour Cream and you've got yourself a great brunch tart.

Try this one.

Black Bean Tart with Chili Crust

Gourmet, January, 1996

Crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika (I substituted Hot Pimenton)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) chilled unsalted butter, cut into bits

2 tablespoons ice water (I needed a little more than three tablespoons in order to get a workable dough)

Filling:

1/2 pound dried black beans, picked over, or 3 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained (I used canned)

1 bay leaf

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

a 10 oz package frozen corn, thawed

1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Monterey Jack (about 6 ounces)

2 fresh jalapeno chilies, seeded and chopped fine

1/2 cup chopped scallions (about 2)

Preheat oven to 350 F

Make crust:

In a bowl with a pastry blender or in a food processor (duh...I used the food processor!) blend or pulse together flour, spices, and salt until combined well. Add butter and blend or pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water and blend or pulse until incorporated and mixture forms a dough.

Press dough evenly onto bottom and sides of a 10-inch tart pan (I buttered mine) with a removable, fluted rim and chill 15 minutes or until firm. Line shell with foil and fill with rice (or pie weights). Bake shell in middle of oven until edge is set, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil and rice and bake crust 10 minutes more, or until golden. Cool crust in pan on a rack. Crust may be made 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature, covered loosely with plastic wrap.

Make filling:

In a bowl soak dried beans, if using, in water to cover by 2 inches overnight or quick-soak and drain. In a large saucepan combine soaked beans, bay leaf, onion, and water to cover by 2 inches and simmer, uncovered, 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until tender, adding more water if necessary. Drain beans, discarding bay leaf and cool. (I skipped that step since I used canned beans. Me = lazy!!)

In a food processor puree 1 cup cooked or canned beans with sour cream until smooth and season with salt and pepper.

In a skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and saute corn with salt and pepper to taste, stirring, about 2 minutes. Cool corn.

In a large bowl stir together corn, whole beans, bell pepper, coriander, Monterey Jack, jalapenos, and scallions and season with salt and pepper

Spread bean puree evenly onto crust and mound with remaining filling, pressing gently. Bake tart in middle of oven about 20 minutes, or until hot and cheese is melted. Let tart cool in pan on a rack 15 minutes.

Remove rim of pan and serve tart warm or at room temperature with lime sour cream. Serves 6-8.

Lime Sour Cream

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or to taste (I used juice of one lime)

In a bowl whisk sour cream and lime juice with salt and pepper to taste. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled covered.