Last year I published a recipe for a ham, leek and cheese pie. Recently, having the remains of a gammon joint to use up, I dug out the recipe to make it again, but there wasn’t enough gammon left to make a pie, so I decided to go topless and make a tart instead.
With a couple of eggs and some milk enriched with crème fraîche, it turned out to be a very acceptable supper for the two of us, with plenty left over for lunch next day. My 20-centimetre tart would feed four, but could easily be increased – just use a bigger pastry case and more filling ingredients.
I recently bought from Amazon a long narrow tart tin (I believe it’s called a tranche tin) which I liked the look of. It’s heavy, loose-based and non-stick. I lined it with pastry, filled it with an almond mixture and topped it with sliced plums. So far, so good. The problem came when I put it in the oven. It just about fitted widthways with a millimetre or two to spare, but turned the other way, it was right up against the oven door, so I had to keep jockeying it around, in order that it cooked evenly. Next time, I’ll check that a tin will comfortably fit in the oven before I buy it!
No such problems with my other two recipes. The first, tomato, ġbejniet and aubergine tarts, make a nice starter or, served with a salad, a very good lunch.
I used Benna cheeselets as they’re a good, even size. I always salt my aubergines first, although I know they say you don’t need to nowadays, but I think they soak up less oil when they’ve been salted.
My other half groans whenever I mention aubergines because he says doesn’t like them, so I hid them away in the bottom of the tarts. Either he didn’t notice them or he didn’t realise what he was eating, as the tarts disappeared very quickly without comment. Men are so gullible!
I don’t think blueberries have much flavour on their own and are much better in pies, tarts or pancakes. They are supposed to be one of the superfoods, being a source of vitamins K and C, fibre and high levels of antioxidants which, it’s claimed, can help protect against heart disease, some cancers and memory loss.
So I hope that my creamy blueberry custard tart, as well as being delicious, will help my sometimes erratic memory!
Tomato, ġbejniet and aubergine tarts
1 small aubergine, about 220g
Salt
Olive oil
1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Ground black pepper
3 fresh Benna ġbejniet
1 tbsp shredded basil leaves
3 or 4 tomatoes, sliced
A few small basil leaves to decorate
Halve the aubergine lengthwise, then cut each half into one-centimetre slices. Sprinkle them with salt and leave them to drain for half an hour. Rinse off the salt, pat them dry with kitchen paper.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in frying pan and fry the aubergines until lightly browned on both sides, adding more oil as necessary. Drain on kitchen paper.
Preheat the oven to 220˚C. Unroll the pastry on a floured surface, roll it out to about 35 centimetres by 25 centimetres and cut out six rounds about 11 or 12 cm in diameter. Stand them on a baking sheet and fold over one centimetre all round each one to make a double rim. Prick the pastry inside the rim all over with a fork, then top each tart with slices of aubergine.
Sprinkle with chopped garlic and grind over some pepper. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until puffy and golden.
Drain the cheeselets and pat them dry on kitchen paper. Cut them in half, then slice each half into four half-moons.
Sprinkle the aubergines with the shredded basil and arrange three or four slices each of cheese and tomato on each tart.
Grind over a little black pepper, sprinkle with olive oil, decorate with basil leaves and serve.
Blueberry custard tart
(Serves 6)
200g plain flour
1 tbsp icing sugar
100g butter
1 egg, separated
3 eggs
2 tbsps caster sugar
200ml milk
150ml cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g frozen blueberries
Icing sugar for dusting
Sift together the flour and icing sugar and rub in the butter, then add the egg yolk and enough iced water to mix to a dough. Knead lightly and roll out to line a 23-centimetre flan tin. Chill for 30 minutes.
Put a baking tray in the oven and preheat to 200˚C. Line the tart with crumpled greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Stand the tart on the hot baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, brush with the lightly beaten egg white and cook for another five minutes until golden. Lower the oven temperature to 160˚C.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together and whisk in the milk, cream and vanilla extract, then strain it into a jug. Put the blueberries into the tart (no need to defrost them) and pour the custard over. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the custard is set but still has a very slight wobble in the centre.
Cool, then dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Leek and ham tart
(Serves 4)
180g plain flour
Salt and pepper
90g butter, diced
Dijon mustard
1 egg, separated
2 medium leeks, trimmed, white and green parts only
20g butter
120g ham, shredded
2 eggs
200ml milk
2 tbsps crème fraîche or cream
1 tbsp parsley
Sift the flour into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and rub in the butter. Mix a teaspoon of Dijon mustard with the egg yolk, add it to the bowl and mix to a dough, adding a spoonful of iced water if necessary.
Knead lightly and roll out to a round large enough to line a 20-centimetre loose-bottomed tart tin, then chill for 30 minutes.
Put a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200˚C. Line the tart tin with crumpled greaseproof, fill with baking beans, stand the tin on the hot baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, brush lightly with the egg white and return to the oven for another five minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 180˚C.
Cut the leeks into half-centimetre slices. Heat the 20g of butter in a frying pan and fry the leeks until they just start to soften. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the ham. Beat together the eggs, milk, crème fraîche, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and the parsley and season well with salt and pepper.
Spread the leeks and ham into the tart and pour over the egg mixture, forking it gently through. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until set and golden.
Remove from the tin and serve either warm or at room temperature.
Plum and almond tart
(Serves 6)
220g plain flour
1 tbsp icing sugar
110g butter
1 egg yolk
120g caster sugar
120g softened butter
3 eggs
60g sifted self-raising flour
120g ground almonds
¼ tsp almond essence
About 6 large plums
2 tbsps warmed redcurrant jelly
Sift the plain flour and icing sugar into a bowl and rub in the butter. Add the egg yolk and enough iced water to form a dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface and then roll the pastry out and line a 25-centimetre loose-based tart tin. Chill for half an hour.
Preheat the oven to 190˚C. Beat the caster sugar and butter together until really light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of the self-raising flour with each one. Stir in any remaining flour, the ground almonds and essence and spread the mixture evenly into the chilled tart.
Halve and stone the plums, then cut each half into four slices. Arrange the plums in concentric circles on the tart, pressing them down lightly into the almond mixture. Brush the plums with half the redcurrant jelly. Stand the tart on a baking tray and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until risen and browned. Brush the tart again with redcurrant jelly, then serve warm or cold with whipped cream or ice cream.