INGREDIENTS
150g buckwheat flour
100g plain flour
¼ tsp sea salt
150g butter, cold, diced
2 tbsp cold water
1 tbsp butter
1 fennel, thin shaved
4 sprigs of marjoram, leaves picked
5 sage leaves, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup (50g) caster sugar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
¼ cup (60ml) water
8-10 asparagus spears
1 lemon, wedges to serve
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan. Line a baking tray, approximately 25x30cm with baking paper.
2. Place the flours, salt, butter and water in a food processor and blend until it comes together to a dough. Bring the dough together with your hands, wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge to set while you prepare the filling.
3. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and 1tbsp olive oil. Add the fennel, herbs and garlic to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the vinegar, water and caster sugar, cooking until the liquid is reduced and the fennel is jammy and deeply caramelised. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry to 3mm thick and the size of your baking tray. Spoon the fennel jam over the pastry and fold the edges into the centre to create a 2cm border.
5. If your asparagus spears are thick, slice them in half lengthways. Trim the spears to the width of your pastry and arrange over the top of the fennel jam, each facing in opposite directions. Season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and the asparagus spears are cooked. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes to set before transferring onto a board to slice and serve with the lemon wedges.