Leek & Cheese Tart is a double cheese delight. Follow the step by step instructions for a melt in the mouth cheese pastry case filled with a creamy custard, gently sautéed leeks with delicious little chunks of cheese.
About the Ingredients for Leek & Cheese Tart
There are no fancy ingredients in this Leek & Cheese Tart, everything you need is easily available.
What are Leeks?
Leeks are a member of the allium family like onions, garlic and shallots. Leeks are not as strong in flavour as onions and are easily available in winter and early spring.
What is Creme Fraiche?
Creme Fraiche is a type of cream which has been cultured in order to make it last longer. You can substitute soured cream or double (heavy) cream. Don’t use yoghurt as it will split and spoil your tart.
What kind of cheese can I use?
I use cheddar cheese grated in the pastry and either Caerphilly or Lancashire cheese in the filling. Caerphilly and Lancashire cheese are both crumbly cheeses that are quite sharp in flavour and I like the contrast with the cream and leeks.
Use any hard cheese that will grate in the pastry and you can choose your favourite cheese to add to the filling.
How to make Leek & Cheese Tart
Step by step photographs and instructions to make this tasty savoury tart. All quantities are contained in the recipe card.
For the cheese pastry
Make this super tasty pastry in the food processor. Don’t worry if you don’t have one because there are instructions in the recipe card to make the pastry by hand.
Put cheese, flour and fats into the processor
Put all the dry ingredients, including the grated cheese, into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and water
Add the egg and the water and pulse until the mixture starts to come together, add a little more water if it is too dry.
Chill the pastry dough
Press the mixture into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes minimum.
Line the tart tin
Roll out the pastry thinly in a circle and line the tart tin. Trim the pastry around the edge of the tin but leave enough to allow for a little shrinkage.
Blind Bake the pastry case
Place a piece of baking parchment onto the pastry and top with baking beans or dried peas, beans or rice.
Bake blind for 15-20 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Why do you blind bake your pastry case?
Blind baking simply means baking the pastry shell before filling it. If you put a wet filling into an unbaked pastry case the base is unlikely to cook properly and you will get a ‘soggy bottom’ rather than a crisp bite of buttery crust.
I don’t have my own video for this but here is a YouTube video from the Co-op which shows you how to line a tart tin and bake blind.
For the Leek & Cheese filling
The filling is really very simple to make. Gather together your ingredients and follow the easy steps.
Prepare the Leeks
Slice the leeks into rounds about 1/2 cm thick and clean in cold water. Drain in a colander.
Cook the leeks
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan or saute pan add the leeks and cook gently until they are soft but not coloured.
Make the custard
Beat the egg and egg yolks together and gently stir in the creme fraiche. Add the salt and grated nutmeg. Crumble the cheese into cubes approximately 1 cm square.
Add leeks and cheese
Spoon the soft leeks into the blind-baked pastry case, top with the crumbled cheese.
Pour over the custard
Finally, pour over the egg and cream mixture and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and set.
Leek & Cheese Tart Serving Suggestion
Serve the Leek & Cheese Tart warm or cold with coleslaw and salad, or alternatively with potatoes and vegetables. It’s perfect for lunch, supper or serve as a dinner party appetiser.
More Leek Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
How to make Leek and Potato Soup – the perfect winter warming soup.
Seared Scallops with Leek Tagliatelle and Chilli Jam brings together sweet plump scallops, soft buttery leeks strips and the piquant heat of chilli jam.
Leftover Turkey and Leek Pasta Bake is a great way to use the leftover turkey, chicken or even ham from a celebratory meal.
More Leek Recipes
- Leek & Potato Kugel – Family Friends Food
- Vegan Freekeh Salad with Cauliflower, Leeks & Butterbeans – Veggielicious
- Creamed Leeks – Greedy Gourmet
- Spanish Leek Croqettes – Christina’s Cucina
- Chicken, Mushroom & Leeks in a Cream and White Wine Sauce – Fab Food 4 All
- Cheese & Leek Bread Pudding – Tin & Thyme
- Leeks in Cheese Sauce – Recipes Made Easy
More Savoury Tart Recipes
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Leek & Cheese Tart Recipe
Equipment
- Food Processor (optional)
- 23 cm tart tin
- baking beans
- Sharp knife
- chopping board
- colander
- large frying pan or saute pan
- bowl or jug
- whisk
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 225 g plain flour all purpose
- 65 g butter cut into pieces
- 65 g vegetable fat cut into pieces
- 100 g grated cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tbsp cold water
For the Leek & Cheese Filling
- 75 g butter
- 1.25 kg leeks
- ½ tsp salt
- 300 ml Crème Fraiche
- 100 g Caerphilly or Lancashire cheese see notes
- 1 large egg
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¼ tsp fresh nutmeg
Instructions
For the Cheese Pastry
- Put the flour, butter, vegetable fat and cheese into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the egg and the water and pulse until the mixture starts to come together, add a little more water if it is too dry.
- Press the mixture into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes minimum.
- Pre -heat the oven to 200C
- Roll out the pastry thinly in a circle and line the tart tin. Trim the pastry around the edge of the tin but leave enough to allow for a little shrinkage.
- Place a piece of baking parchment onto the pastry and top with baking beans or dried peas, beans or rice.
- Bake blind for 15-20 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
For the Leek & Cheese filling
- Slice the leeks into rounds about 1/2 cm thick and clean in cold water. Drain in a colander.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan or saute pan add the leeks and cook gently until they are soft but not coloured.
- Beat the egg and egg yolks together and gently stir in the creme fraiche. Add the salt and grated nutmeg. Crumble the cheese into cubes approximately 1 cm square.
- Spoon the soft leeks into the blind-baked pastry case, top with the crumbled cheese.
- Finally, pour over the egg and cream mixture and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and set.
- Remove from the oven and leave for 10 minutes. Take out of the tin and serve.
Video
Notes
To make the pastry without a food processor
Chop the fats into the flour with a blunt knife, then use your finger to rub the fats into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and water as per the recipe and bring the pastry together with a blunt knife and your hands.Cheese
If you can’t source Caerphilly or Lancashire Cheese, then you can substitute any hard cheese.To freeze
Cool the finished tart, then wrap in baking parchment and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and warm in a medium oven for 20 minutes.Nutrition
I’m adding this post to Cook Blog Share – the home of great blogger recipes
