Food & Drink

Most of us interested in good food know that the perfect dish is all about using the perfect ingredients.

Many of us have struggled with complicated recipes in the past only to produce a culinary disaster, but have wowed our friends and family with a simple salad, all because we have made sure everything that has gone into it has been of the highest quality.

Well one way of knowing that you are using the best products and ingredients is by making sure you are getting the real deal from the certified region of origin, like Parma Ham from Parma or Port from the Douro Valley in Portugal. Make sure you check for the PDO, AOC or DOC mark on products such as Burgundy wines, Port and Douro Valley wines, Parma Ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to ensure that you will be rewarded with excellent quality.

To show you how much of a difference using authentic ingredients can make to your cooking, top chef Mike Robinson Chef Patron of the Pot Kiln and co-owner of the Michelin starred Harwood Arms has joined with Discover the Origin to create a fabulous and simple dish that is sure to become a firm favourite in your culinary repertoire.

And to make sure you are getting the most out of your dishes with the correct wine match, UK Sommelier of the Year 2008 Gearoid Devaney MS has also come on board to show us how an authentic drop can enhance your dining experience.

In this How To video Mike cooks up a very special Cheese Tart using Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese while Gearoid matches the dish with a mouth watering white from the Burgundy region.

For more information visit www.discovertheorigin.co.uk

Recipe

Caramelised onion & Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese tart

Enjoyed with a White Burgundy wine: Chablis or Hautes Côtes de Beaune

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 4 large white onions, diced
• Thyme
• 275ml warmed milk (or double cream)
• 85g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3 large egg yolks
• 5 large egg whites
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to season

For the pastry:

• 600g flour
• 300g butter
• 1 egg

Method

For the pastry: Rub together the butter and the flour to reach a breadcrumb-like consistency. Add the egg and mix together until it forms a neat pastry ball. Wrap in clingfilm and let set in the refrigerator for an hour. Once rested, take the pastry out and roll flat to approximately ¼ inch thickness, measure and cut 4 square pieces (7 x 7 inches) to fit over and line a circular pastry cutter (approx. 3 inches in diameter). Then blind bake each of the tart pastry cases for 12-15 minutes at 180oC. For the filling: Heat the butter in a large frying pan on the stove. Add the sliced onions and garlic to the pan. Cook over medium heat until lightly coloured and very soft (about 15-20 minutes). Remove the mixture from the heat, and continue stirring for a few seconds while adding thyme. Place the mixture into a bowl and season generously, particularly with black pepper, then set aside to cool. Once cooled, add 3 egg yolks, milk (or double cream) and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Gently mix all ingredients together, add black pepper and pour mixture into tart pastry cases. Bake in the oven at 160oC until the tart is set. Remove and serve with mixed dressed watercress.