The recipe comes from Hummus & Co, a new cookbook by Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley, of Sydney restaurant Kepos & Co.

The book features more than 140 Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, from colourful salads and slow-cooked meats, to sweets.

Asparagus, pea and feta tart

 Serves 6

I think a weekend brunch is sometimes the best meal of the week because you have a little more time to prepare and a little more time to enjoy the meal. I don’t get to have brunch that often at the moment because I’m usually cooking for other people at the restaurants, but it’s a great way to entertain friends and family. This tart is easy to assemble and most of the components can be made ahead of time. It looks pretty and tastes delicious and fresh. If you don’t want to use peas you can use another vegetable.

Ingredients

350g (2½ cups) frozen peas, thawed overnight
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 sheet store-bought all-butter puff pastry, about 20 x 30cm
12–14 asparagus spears, peeled and trimmed
150g feta cheese
3 soft-boiled eggs
Micro herbs, to garnish (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Put the peas in a bowl and crush them. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.

Put the pastry on the prepared tray and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown, puffed up and very firm. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Heat a chargrill pan or a barbecue grill plate to high. Drizzle the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until grill marks appear.

To assemble the tart, put the pastry on a serving board or chopping board (this will make the tart easier to cut) and top with the crushed pea mixture. Crumble the feta evenly over the tart. Tear the eggs in half and arrange them on the tart. Top with the grilled asparagus and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter over micro herbs, if using.

Note: The pastry has a long cooking time. Once cut, it needs to be able to hold its shape and soak up the juices.

Recipe and image from Hummus & Co, by Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley, published by Murdoch Books, RRP $49.99.