Black bean, corn, and pepper tart with chunky tomatillo guacamole
Instructions:
- Spicy cornmeal pastry:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour;
- 1⁄4 cup stone-ground cornmeal;
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin;
- 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder;
- 1 teaspoon paprika;
- 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt;
- 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter, cut into small cubes and chilled;
- 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled;
- 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water.
- Filling:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil;
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup);
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored and diced (about 1 cup);
- 1 to 2 jalapeños, finely chopped;
- 1 cup fresh or thawed corn kernels (about 2 ears of corn);
- 2 cups home-cooked or canned black beans, drained and rinsed;
- 11⁄2 cups grated Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Mexican blend cheese, divided;
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste;
- Chunky Tomatillo Guacamole
, for serving; - Lime wedges and sour cream, for garnish.
- For the pastry:
- Mix the flour, cornmeal, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and salt together in a large bowl or in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade or pastry blade. Cut (or pulse) in the butter and shortening until the mixture looks like sand and clumps together when pressed lightly. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour mixture. Use a fork (or pulse) to mix the ingredients together. If the dry ingredients are not mixing in, sprinkle in another tablespoon of ice water. Mix with the fork (or pulse) until the mixture begins to form large clumps. Pour the clumps onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gently form into a disk. Wrap the disk in the plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Press the pastry evenly into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, making sure that it isn’t too thick or sloped in the corners. (You can make an even corner by pressing the pastry with the edge of a straight-sided metal measuring cup.) Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill it with uncooked beans, uncooked rice, or pie weights. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the weights and parchment and continue baking until the crust is firm and looks dry, 8 to 10 minutes more. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
- For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, and corn and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the beans and 1 cup of the cheese. Season with salt and black pepper. Use a slotted spoon to spread the vegetable mixture into the crust, leaving behind any accumulated liquid. Scatter the remaining 1⁄2 cup of cheese over the top.
- Bake the tart in the middle of the oven until hot and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve with Chunky Tomatillo Guacamole, lime wedges, and sour cream.
- Make-ahead note: You can bake the crust up to 1 day ahead. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack and then store covered at room temperature.