A rustic seaside tart

Serves 4-6 Cakes, Bread and Pastries

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Method

Grease a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with butter. To make the pastry, mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the diced butter and toss it around to coat in the flour.

Mix the ice-cold water with 30ml room temperature water, then gradually add to the flour mixture, bringing it together until it forms a soft, non-sticky dough with visible chunks of butter – you may not need all the liquid.

Roll out on a floured work surface into a long rectangle around 1cm thick. Fold the top third of the pastry into the middle, then fold the opposite third over it to create 3 layers.

Turn the pastry by a quarter and repeat the rolling and folding process. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm or alternative and chill for 10 minutes. Repeat the folding process once more, then wrap and chill for a further 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C F/ Gas 7. Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface until it is wider than the tart tin all the way round. Carefully lower the pastry into the tin and press it into the corners – save a little chunk of pastry in case there are any holes that need patching up later.

Prick the base all over with a fork. Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beans, then blind bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the tin from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C F/Gas 4. The flaky pastry will have puffed up a little. Remove the beans and paper and bake for another 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Melt the butter in a hot pan over a medium heat, add the bacon and fry until crispy. Remove from the pan and leave to drain on kitchen paper. Add the sea beet or spinach to the hot pan and cook until gently wilted – if using spinach you may need to squeeze out excess liquid. Once wilted, transfer to a large bowl, add the bacon and potatoes and mix together until combined.

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, milk and cream together in a small bowl, then season well with salt and pepper.

Fill the blind-baked tart case with the sea beet or spinach, potato and bacon mixture and sprinkle the grated cheese over. Pour in the egg, milk and cream mixture until it reaches the top of the tin, then bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the mixture is slightly wobbly but set. Leave to cool in the tin before serving.

This recipe featured in the August/September 2022 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.