Asparagus, Tomato, and Anchovy Tart Paired With Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

I think I have a slight problem. I can't stop eating anchovies! I got a craving some time last week and have been eating them on everything ever since. I guess I should probably take it easy with all the sodium. But not before sharing a delicious recipe that I came up with during my anchovy obsessed week. A puff pastry tart with asparagus, tomatoes, anchovies, lemon, shallots, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Each ingredient plays an important role and the combination of all of them together creates a wonderful explosion of flavors in your mouth. Just the right balance of acidity from the tomatoes and lemon, saltiness from the anchovies, and butteriness from the puff pastry. Mmmm.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA could not have been a better choice for the pairing. If you've ever had Dogfish Head 60 Minute or 90 Minute you know that they have a distinct Dogfish Head IPA flavor that is unlike most IPAs. Just enough hops to wake up your palate and stand up to the pungent flavors in the dish, but enough of a malty background to keep it balanced. This pairing is really a beautiful marriage of flavors. Every sip of beer resets your palate and allows you to enjoy the flavors all over again. I think you should probably try this if you're into really yummy stuff.

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/2 pound asparagus, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese ( I also included grated Romano cheese)
• 2 oz can of anchovy fillets in oil, chopped
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes (about 15 tomatoes), sliced in half
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 egg, beaten
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold puff pastry and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Fold the edges over to create a border. Brush pastry with the beaten egg. Combine the asparagus, garlic, shallot, cheese, anchovies, tomatoes, lemon juice, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, but remember that the anchovies already contain a lot of salt. Spread mixture onto the puff pastry. Bake for about 18 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.