![]() Fold the edge of the pastry over to create a lip. Spoon the creamy leeks (or onions) on top, spreading it out evenly and leaving a 1-2cm (1/4-1/2in) gap around the edge. Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking sheet, and put the circle of pastry on to it. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to a circle about 3mm (1/4in) thick, leaving no gaps or holes.Stir in the leeks or onions and season to taste. Add the sour cream, thyme leaves and nutmeg to the bowl. Beat the eggs in a bowl, then scoop out a couple of tablespoons of beaten egg to glaze later.Melt the butter in a pan over a low-medium heat, add the leeks and bay leaves and cook until really soft and sweet – about 15 minutes for leeks, 30 minutes for onions.Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.Wrap the pastry in cling film (or greaseproof paper) and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. (Alternatively, mix the butter into the flour and salt in a bowl using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs, stir in the thyme, then add the egg and mix to form a dough.) Bring the dough together with your hands and shape into a round. Add the egg and pulse until the mixture just comes together. Add the thyme and pulse very briefly to combine. For the pastry, put the flour, slat and butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.Like all good recipes, it’s started to evolve to my kitchen and way of cooking. Here’s Mark’s recipe with a few notes from me. A pot on your windowsill is a happy medium. (Herb has helpful instructions for this too). I’ve found it pretty easy to grow, both in Dubai and the U.K. Thyme is a woody herb and withstands the obstacles of the supermarket supply chain pretty well. Lemon thyme makes the sunniest, orange thyme is altogether more resinous and autumnal, and common thyme gives a tart you could eat for breakfast, lunch and tea and not tire of it.Įven if I’ve had to pull on my wellies and raincoat, I’ve found picking my own leaves fresh from the garden a simple pleasure. Recipe writer and author Mark Diacono recommends it but also describes the difference that each variety offers in the recipe intro. My herb patch doesn’t include lemon thyme this year. If cooking competition perfection is your aim then this might not be for you – or you could make it in a tart tin. You just fold the edges in for a rather lovely rustic look. This tart goes a step further in simplicity as you don’t even have to line a tin (meaning the dreaded shrinkage is not a problem either). My usual standby, mascarpone and bacon, dispenses with this stage without suffering from the now ubiquitous condition of ‘soggy bottom’ fearing having a layer of rather stodgy, almost uncooked pastry underneath your eggy topping. ![]() The fiddly part of savoury tarts is baking the crust blind (lining a tart tin with pastry, putting in baking paper and beans, cooking for 15-20 minutes) before adding the filling. The pages of Herb/a cook’s companion are already well-thumbed and I’ve cooked the Lemon Thyme and Leek Tart several times as it’s deliciously simple. I love to have a few recipes that I can turn to with without a second thought. Even delicatessen quiches pall in the fridge and are costly if buying more than one slice. Whipping one up for supper, lunch or last minute gatherings with little effort is so much better than grabbing something from supermarket shelves. Having a store cupboard tart recipe is deeply rewarding. ![]()
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