Cheese and pickle tart
| Servings | 8 |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 30 minutes, plus about 30 minutes to chill |
| Cooking time | 1 hour 15 minutes |
The pickle in this tart can be swapped out for whatever other filling you want – caramelised onion chutney is also good.
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Ceramic baking beans
- Large, deep, loose-bottom flan tin (about 25cm diameter and 3cm deep)
Ingredients
- 350g shortcrust pastry
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 4 eggs
- 150ml whole milk
- 200g small-chunk sandwich pickle
- 250g grated mature cheddar
- butter for greasing
Directions
- Dust a little flour over your work surface, then take the shortcrust pastry, flatten slightly, and sprinkle the paprika over. Fold the edges over so the paprika is inside, then knead the pastry until the paprika is distributed throughout. You don't have to get it totally even – a bit of marbling makes the tart look great.
- Wrap the pastry in some cling film, and chill in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 160℃, and place a baking tray inside to warm.
- Dust your work surface with a little more flour, then roll the pastry out into a rough circle that's large enough to cover your flan tin.
- Rub a little butter over the inside of your flan tin, then line the tin with your pastry, leaving a little bit of overhang around the edges. Make sure it's pressed firmly into the flutes, but don't cut off the overhanging pastry just yet. Pierce the surface all over with a fork.
- Cover the top of the pastry with a large sheet of baking paper, then place the baking beans on top. Pop the tin in the oven on top of your hot baking tray for 25 minutes, then take it out and remove the baking paper and beads. Bake it for another 15 minutes until it's just a touch golden around the edges.
- While the case is baking, gently beat together the eggs and milk. Remove the pastry case from the oven, and spread the pickle or other filling evenly across the bottom of the case. Spread the grated cheese over then filling, then pour the egg mixture on top.
- Place back in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the filling is set, and there's just a little bit of wobble in the middle. Then remove from the over and place on a cooling rack.
- Once the tart has cooled a little, slice off the overhanging pastry using a sharp knife. Leave to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes, then remove the tin and transfer to the rack to cool completely.