by Helen Hume from The Go-To Cookbook (Austin Macauley)
I first made this in 2006 and it is probably Marc’s absolute favourite supper. You can use ready-made short crust pastry but homemade has a better flavour. You could make some pastry for the freezer so that you have it ready to hand. This tart is a beautiful colour with a delicate flavour. A rocket salad is the perfect accompaniment.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Pastry
100g chilled butter, cubed
200g plain flour
1 egg yolk
about 40ml cold water
Filling
250g leeks, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
250g frozen peas, defrosted
300ml double cream
3 eggs
½ tsp caster sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt & black pepper
Method
1. Use a food processor to make the pastry or do this by hand. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs then add the water and egg yolk to combine into a ball that leaves the sides of the bowl. Chill for 20 mins.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/200C/gas 6.
3. Roll out the pastry and line a 23cm flan tin. Ensure that the pastry is pushed into the edges of the tin and trim. Chill for 20 mins.
4. For the filling, cook the leeks in the oil over a low heat for 10 mins. You want to soften but not brown them.
5. Place the peas in a food processor and blitz for a few seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and blitz again briefly until combined. Season well.
6. Place the leeks in the base of the tart and carefully pour over the pea mixture. Bake for a further 30 mins until golden and just set.
