Zaalouk Puff Pastry Tart with Feta and Honey

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (oven) and line a 30×40 cm baking tray with baking paper. Thaw the puff pastry in the fridge and keep it cold; warm pastry lets the butter melt and it won't puff up properly.

   oven

2. Cut the eggplant into small 1 cm dice. Heat the olive oil in a 24 cm pan on medium-high heat, add the eggplant and half the salt and fry for 9 min, until soft and golden in places. Because it's diced small, it cooks straight in the pan without boiling first.

   Add in this stepEggplant (aubergine) 300 gExtra-virgin olive oil 2 tbspSalt ¼ tsp

   medium-high heat

3. Add the minced garlic, paprika, cumin, grated tomato and remaining salt and cook on medium heat for 7 min, pressing and crushing with a spoon until you have a thick, almost dry spread. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes; a hot filling makes the pastry soggy.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves 1Sweet paprika ½ tspGround cumin ½ tspRipe tomatoes 160 gSalt ¼ tsp

   medium heat

4. Cut the puff pastry into one rectangle of about 12 × 18 cm per serving. Score a border 1.5 cm in from the edge without cutting through, then prick the inside all over with a fork so the centre doesn't puff. Place on the tray, brush the border with beaten egg, spread the zaalouk evenly inside the border, crumble over the feta and sprinkle the border with sesame seeds.

   Add in this stepFrozen puff pastry sheet, thawed 160 gEgg (for egg wash) ½Feta cheese 60 gSesame seeds 1 tsp

5. Bake in the preheated oven (oven) for 18 min, until the border has puffed high and is deep golden and the underside is browned when you lift a corner.

   oven

6. Let cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle thinly with honey, scatter over torn mint leaves and finish with a little of the remaining olive oil. Cut and serve warm.

   Add in this stepHoney 2 tspFresh mint leaves 4 gExtra-virgin olive oil ½ tbsp