WHAT'S COOKING: Tart up dull winter days

It’s the time of year for hearty, comfort food. For me, that includes nice smoky flavours – I’m thinking smoked fish, cheese and charcuterie. Throw in a bit of pastry, and what’s not to like?

Pies and tarts are a winter favourite too. But when it comes to pastry, what to do? Make your own or buy readymade in the supermarket? When it comes to puff and filo pastry, especially the latter, definitely buy. Shortcrust, I’m not so sure; especially if it’s for a savoury tart and needs to be baked blind. When blind baking, the pastry case is baked in the oven for the first time without filling to make sure the bottom is crisp. Then, when it’s cooked, it is filled with whatever filling you choose and goes back into the oven for a second time. The first baking is to avoid a dreaded soggy bottom.

Twice over recent weeks, I’ve made the smoked haddock and leek tart in the recipe below. The first time I made my own pastry; it didn’t take long and (shush!) I was in too much of a rush to chill it. When I baked the case blind, it cooked evenly and had a perfectly crisp base- even after the second cooking with the filling in.

The next time I made the tart, I felt lazy and reached for the readymade shortcrust. In the blind bake, it cooked far quicker. I popped in the filling – exactly the same as the week before, same oven – and baked the tart again. But I cut it open and oh, no! The loathsome soggy bottom! This was not a scientific experiment but, for now, m’lud, I rest my (tart) case!

Smoked haddock and leek tart

What you need
For the pastry:
250g plain flour
125g cold butter
Few tablespoons of chilled water, to mix

For the filling:
2 medium leeks
250g smoked haddock
500ml whole milk
75g grated mature cheddar cheese
150ml cream
2 eggs plus 2 extra yolks
A quarter cup of chopped parsley
3 tbsp chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper
 
What you do
First, make the pastry. Sieve the flour into a bowl, add the butter – either cube it then crumb it in with your fingers, or grate it to make the crumbing phase quicker (the less you touch the butter, the colder it remains which makes for better pastry).

Next, add enough water to bind the pastry (less is more). Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven on the fan setting to 180°C. Roll the chilled pastry and place in a 23cm tart tin. Leave a few centimetres of pastry overhanging the edges – you can trim to size when it’s baked. Cut out and place baking parchment on the tart base and cover with baking beans. Bake blind for around 20 minutes (keep an eye on it after the ten-minute mark – ovens have their own personalities!).

Next, remove the paper and beans and return the base to the oven for no more than 10 minutes – again, check it after five minutes.

Prepare the leeks by cutting off the leafy tops and peeling the outer layers. Cut into 2.5cm rounds. Wash well but keep the rounds fairly intact.

Place the fish in a saucepan and cover with the milk. Cook gently for four to five minutes until it begins to flake. Remove the haddock and cool. Add the leeks to the warm milk and cook gently – don’t let the milk boil – for about six minutes until the leeks are soft. Drain in a colander then place in a mixing bowl.

Add large pieces of flaked haddock, then add the grated cheese, the parsley and a few grinds of black pepper (you won’t need salt as the smoked haddock is already salty). Mix gently then arrange evenly in the baked tart case.

In a jug, whisk the eggs and yolks and cream together, then add in 200ml of the milk from the haddock and leeks. Throw in a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Pour the mix over the tart filling and shake slightly to cover the leeks and haddock evenly. Sprinkle the chives on top.

Place the tart tin on a baking tray (in case it leaks) and carefully transfer to the oven. Cook for around 35 minutes (again, start checking after 20 minutes) or until the filling is set. Allow to cool for around ten minutes before serving.