Tomato, Basil and Parmesan Upside Down Pie

Completely delicious and fresh for a satisfying dinner on a hot summer night!  Once again Belinda Jeffery has provided the perfect flavour combination.  Even Wilbur, who will usually only eat vegetarian meals as long as they contain a little meat, voluntarily went back for seconds of this fresh ‘yumm’ pie.

And …   mine actually looked like the photo in Belinda Jeffery’s cookbook!     Hope yours does too!!

Serves 6

Preparation       20 minutes

Cooking           30 - 35 minutes

Cooling              5 minutes 

Ingredients

800 gram can crushed tomatoes – very well drained of juice (save for another day)

1 ½ cups (225 gram) Self-Raising Flour

½ teaspoon salt            (Belinda Jeffery uses 1 teaspoon)

1 ½ teaspoon English Mustard Powder (hot if preferred)  This is mild flavour - Reduce if you prefer

100 gram Parmesan – freshly grated.  Not essential to use Reggiano, Grana Padano is fine

50   gram Cheddar cheese – finely grated

100 gram unsalted butter, chilled and diced into chunks     (NB Belinda Jeffery uses 125 gram)

¼ red capsicum – very finely diced

2 eggs

1/3 cup (80 gram) milk

Tabasco sauce – couple of shakes – up to your taste preference

4 -6 medium size ripe Roma tomatoes – thinly sliced   – be sure to squeeze and remove moisture

Large handful of basil – finely shredded.  AND Reserve some small leaves to garnish the baked pie.

Pepper – a few fresh grinds

Options:  you could add a thin layer of caramelised or sauteed onions between tomato and cheese layer
 or   
could add some finely chopped black olives  or  finely diced sundried tomatoes to cheese layer

Method

Preheat oven 180 o Celsius.

Lightly grease 26 cm round ovenproof dish (not too shallow, nor too deep). 

Line base with baking paper.  VIP. Helps to remove the cooked pie later.

In food processor (or by hand) whiz the flour, salt and mustard together.

Add cheeses and whiz again just to combine.

Add butter and process till mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Mix the chopped capsicum through.

Tip mixture out of food processor and into a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and pepper, Tabasco sauce.

Make a well in the middle of the cheese mixture and pour in the egg mix. 

Mix everything together and make a fairly stiff batter.

In pie dish – over baking paper- layer the thin slices of tomato in overlapping circles to cover base.

Next, spoon over the well-drained canned tomatoes to cover the fresh tomato layer.

Sprinkle with the shredded basil.

Dollop lots of spoonfuls of batter over the basil.  Then lightly join the blobs together either using the back of the spoon or by lightly patting together with floured fingertips. A few gaps are fine, as the batter mix will spread slightly during the cooking.  Try not to swirl the layers too much when joining.

Bake in prepared oven 30 -35 minutes, until topping is golden.  Test by inserting a thin skewer into the topping – when it comes out clean, pie is cooked.

Remove from oven.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes still in the pie dish on a cooling rack that is larger than the pie dish. This will help you invert the dish later.

Invert onto a serving platter.

To do this: Place a large enough platter upside down over the top of the pie dish – it will completely cover pie and need a few centimetres extra around dish as the cooked topping will now form the bottom of your plated-up pie.

If the pie dish is cool enough to handle, you can directly flip over and onto the platter

If the pie dish is still a bit too hot :

Using the cooling rack and the large platter a bit like a sandwich, quickly flip over.

Remove the pie dish carefully.  The baking paper should then come away smoothly from the sliced tomato layer when you carefully peel it away.

Mop up any stray juices from the platter and scatter the small basil leaves over the top of your pie.

Serve with a garden fresh green salad and maybe a slice of chunky fresh bread.

                                                                                      Enjoy!    Colleen