AuthorBen WatsonCategoryLunch, SummerBest served at room temperature, this savoury cheese tart is ideal for al fresco dining in the summer and served simply with a fresh lightly dressed salad.
To make the pastry, cut the cold butter into small cubes and mix with the flour. Either by hand or in an electric mixer (or a food processor), blend the butter into the flour with a pinch of salt until you achieve a fine crumb. Add four tablespoons of cold water and blend again briefly until the pastry comes together into a mass, adding a little more water if necessary. Knead the dough into a round cake, cover with film and rest in the fridge for half an hour.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Roll out the pastry quite thin to a diameter of 32 cm and drop into a 26cm tart tin, leaving a small overlap over the sides. Line the inside with greaseproof paper and fill with dried beans. Bake the tart blind for twenty minutes. Remove the beans and paper and cook for a further ten minutes until the pastry is cooked. Beat the egg and brush the interior of the tart with this. Put back in the oven for a couple of minutes to bake the egg and prevent any leaks. Remove and rest. Turn the oven down to 170°C.
Warm the milk and a little of the cream in a small pan. Add the cheese and stir over a low heat until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from the heat and add the remaining cream. Beat the egg in a small bowl and stir in the cream and cheese mixture. When thoroughly mixed, pour into the shell and slide gently into the oven for thirty minutes. The surface should take a little colour If the filling starts to rise, turn the oven temperature down. A gentle shake of the pan will tell if the filling is still liquid at the time. That tart is best served at room temperature.
Ingredients
Directions
To make the pastry, cut the cold butter into small cubes and mix with the flour. Either by hand or in an electric mixer (or a food processor), blend the butter into the flour with a pinch of salt until you achieve a fine crumb. Add four tablespoons of cold water and blend again briefly until the pastry comes together into a mass, adding a little more water if necessary. Knead the dough into a round cake, cover with film and rest in the fridge for half an hour.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Roll out the pastry quite thin to a diameter of 32 cm and drop into a 26cm tart tin, leaving a small overlap over the sides. Line the inside with greaseproof paper and fill with dried beans. Bake the tart blind for twenty minutes. Remove the beans and paper and cook for a further ten minutes until the pastry is cooked. Beat the egg and brush the interior of the tart with this. Put back in the oven for a couple of minutes to bake the egg and prevent any leaks. Remove and rest. Turn the oven down to 170°C.
Warm the milk and a little of the cream in a small pan. Add the cheese and stir over a low heat until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from the heat and add the remaining cream. Beat the egg in a small bowl and stir in the cream and cheese mixture. When thoroughly mixed, pour into the shell and slide gently into the oven for thirty minutes. The surface should take a little colour If the filling starts to rise, turn the oven temperature down. A gentle shake of the pan will tell if the filling is still liquid at the time. That tart is best served at room temperature.