Leek and Slate Cavern aged cheddar puddings with griddled sweetheart cabbage and a yeast extract dressing

Makes 4 individual puddings/tartlets or 1 large Starters and mains

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Method

To make the dressing, put all the ingredients except the oil in a screw-topped jar and shake well. Add the oil, a little at a time, shaking well to emulsify after each addition.

To make the filling, trim and slice each leek, except the one reserved for decorating, into
4 lengths and finely chop across. Place in a bowl with the cheese, butter and seasoning. Coarsely grate the frozen butter into a large bowl and add the flour. Using a knife, gently coat the butter with the flour and add the water, a few spoonfuls at a time. Use the knife to bring the dough together without overworking it (you don’t want a breadcrumb texture, but a roughly mixed dough that is quite flaky). It needs to be worked just enough to be able to flatten and line the pudding moulds and make the lids.

Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll each into a thin piece large enough to line a 200ml pudding mould (or, if making 1 large pudding, roll a piece to line a 600ml china basin), taking care not to make any holes. Spoon in the prepared filling to make a mound higher than the top of the tin. Roll out the lids just a fraction larger than the top of each mould, wet the edge of the pastry and drape it over, tucking it down to seal. Cover each pudding with a sheet of foil, large enough to make a pleat in the centre, and cut to size. Twist the foil edges around the lip to prevent any water seeping in.

Put the puddings in a single layer in a steamer and simmer for 1 hour 20 minutes. You may need to top the pan up with water during that time.

Meanwhile, cut the extra leek into very thin strips and fry in hot rapeseed oil for a matter of seconds until just turning pale golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.

Cut the cabbage into quarters, trimming root ends slightly but keeping them intact. Season and toss gently in the rapeseed oil. Heat a griddle pan and when hot sear the cabbagepieces first on the cut side, then the other. Lower the heat, cook for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and cover with foil until ready to serve.

If making in advance, briefly re-steam the puddings on a low heat, still in their moulds. Serve the topped with the crispy fried leek, the cabbage and dressing.

To make the upside down leek tartlets

To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Using a knife, mix in the cheese, egg yolk, seasoning and 1tbsp cold water. Bring together into a pliable dough, then wrap in cling film and chill for 25 minutes.

To make the filling, melt the butter in a small frying pan over a low heat and stand the leek pieces in it, cut side up, and gently fry for 1 minute or so on one end, then turn and fry on the other. Don’t let them colour too much. Spoon the honey into the bases of 4 x 12cm x 5cm individual boat-shaped fluted tart tins, 4 small round tins or a 15cm frying pan. Stand the leeks upright in the tins in the same way as before. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C F/Gas 4. Cut the pastry into 4 if making the individual tartlets and roll out a piece at a time large enough to fit over the leeks in their tins. Trim the pastry, leaving enough to tuck down the insides of the tins to contain the leeks. Put the tartlets on a baking sheet and cook for around 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling around the edges of the tin. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes, then invert each one onto a plate to serve. If making in advance, reheat in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. Serve hot with the leek puddings.

This recipe featured in the May/June 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.