
Swiss chard and clotted cream tart
- Published: 31 May 14
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
The chard in this versatile tart recipe can be swapped for watercress or spinach – whatever’s in season – and you can experiment with a range of cheeses too.

-
Serves 10
-
Hands-on time 45 min, chilling time 20 min, oven time 1 hour
Ingredients
- 25g butter
- 300g swiss chard, leaves shredded, stalks thinly sliced
- 100ml double cream
- 225g clotted cream
- 200g well flavoured hard cheese, coarsely grated (see Debbie’s introduction)
- 3 large free-range eggs
For the pastry
- 150g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 50g stoneground wholemeal flour
- 25g medium oatmeal
- ½ tsp salt
- 65g chilled butter, cubed
- 65g chilled lard, cubed
Method
- Whizz all the pastry ingredients together in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1-2 tbsp water, bit by bit, pulsing until it all comes together in a ball. Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured surface and briefly knead until smooth.
- Lightly grease a 23cm round, 3-4cm deep, loose-bottomed fluted tart tin. Roll out the pastry until it’s about the thickness of a £1 coin, then use it to line the tin, patching up any holes with offcuts. Prick the base with a fork, then chill for 20 minutes. Put a baking sheet in the oven and heat to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6.
- Remove the pastry case from the fridge, then line it with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake on the hot baking sheet for 20 minutes or until the edges are biscuit coloured. Remove the paper and beans/rice, then bake for a further 5-7 minutes until the base is crisp and golden (see tip).
- Meanwhile, melt the 25g butter in a large pan. Add the sliced chard stalks, cover and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, add the shredded chard leaves and cook until wilted. Cover the pan again and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the stalks are just tender. If there’s any excess liquid in the pan, tip the chard into a colander and gently press, then season lightly.
- Put the double cream in a small pan and heat gently over a low heat until warm. Add the clotted cream and stir until melted. Transfer to a mixing bowl and leave to cool.
- Remove the pastry case from the oven, gently trim any overhang with a serrated knife, then turn the heat down to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5.
- Scatter the chard and grated cheese over the pastry base. Lightly beat the eggs into the cooled cream mixture with some seasoning, then pour into the tart and bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is set and golden. Remove from the tin (see tip), then serve warm.
- Recipe from June 2014 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 472kcals
- Fat
- 41.4g (23.6g saturated)
- Protein
- 10.7g
- Carbohydrates
- 14.6g (1.1g sugars)
- Fibre
- 1.2g
- Salt
- 1.2g
delicious. tips
The oatmeal can make the pastry fragile, so be gentle when you remove the tart from the tin.
To strengthen the base, brush it with beaten egg after removing the baking beans/rice in step 3. Return it to the oven to crisp, as in the recipe.
Try Lincolnshire poacher or a good cheddar in this tart, but gruyère and comté are also good.
Buy ingredients online
Rate & review
Rate
Reviews
Subscribe to our magazine
Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.
Subscribe
Unleash your inner chef
Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter