Purple sprouting broccoli and wensleydale tarts
- Portion size: Serves 6
- Takes 25 minutes to make, 35 minutes to cook, plus chilling and cooling
- Difficulty: easy
These individual vegetarian tartlets are perfect for spring dining – make them as a starter to kick off Easter lunch with all the family or a dinner party with friends.
Big on broccoli? Then you might like these Tenderstem broccoli and spring onion galettes, too.
Ingredients
- 12 small spears of purple sprouting broccoli
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 banana shallots, finely sliced
- 3 large free-range eggs and 2 yolks, beaten
- 250ml double cream
- 150g wensleydale, grated
- 35g cream cheese
- Green salad to serve
For the pastry
- 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 80g shelled walnuts, whizzed in a food processor until finely ground
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 120g chilled unsalted butter, cubed
- Finely grated zest of 1½ lemons
- 1 medium free-range egg yolk
- 2 tbsp ice-cold water
Method
- To make the pastry, put the flour, ground walnuts and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the lemon zest and egg yolk, then pulse, gradually adding the water until the mixture just comes together. Tip out on to a lightly floured surface, bring together with your hands, then knead briefly. Shape into a disc, wrap in cling film, then chill for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin and use to line 6 x 12cm fluted tart tins (see tip), pressing the pastry right down into the tins and into the sides. Chill for 10 minutes.
- Line the tarts with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice, then blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans/rice, then bake for 5-10 minutes more until golden. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas
- Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli spears in salted boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and refresh in ice-cold water. Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the shallots for 10-12 minutes until very soft and golden.
- Whisk the eggs, yolks, cream, wensleydale and cream cheese in a jug, then season. Divide the shallots equally among the cases. Divide the broccoli spears, broken into smaller florets, among the tart cases, then pour over the egg mix. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and just set.
- Take out of the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tins and cool to room temperature. Serve with a few green salad leaves.
Nutrition
- 604kcals Calories
- 47.3g (22.1g saturated) Fat
- 18g Protein
- 26.7g (2.8g sugars) Carbs
- 3.3g Fibre
- 0.8g Salt
Per tart
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