Crab, leek & cheddar tart

Make the pastry case and cook the leeks the day before serving, then all you have to do is fill and bake it. Larger supermarkets now stock tubs of prepared crabmeat. You’ll probably think the tart looks small when you’re putting it together, but it’s very rich, so you don’t need big slices of it. Serve with some lightly dressed salad leaves, if you like.

SERVES 6 PREP 35 mins plus 1 hr chilling and cooling COOK 1 hr 5 mins MORE EFFORT

For the pastry

250g plain lour, plus extra

for dusting

150g cold butter, cut into cubes 1 large egg yolk

For the illing

10g butter

2 leeks (about 500g), sliced

into 2cm rings 200ml double cream 100ml crème fraîche

1 large egg, plus 3 egg yolks 200g white crabmeat 35g cheddar, grated

1 For the tart case, put the flour, butter and a good pinch of salt into a food processor, and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Combine the yolk with 11/2 tbsp very cold water, then add this to the mixture and blitz again until it comes together into a ball (you may need to add a little more water). 2 Lightly dust a rolling pin and a large sheet of baking parchment with flour. Roll the pastry out on the parchment, and use it to line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill for 1 hr until firm. heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking sheet inside.

3 For the filling, heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat, add the leeks, stir, season and splash in 2 tbsp water. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 mins until the leeks are soft. Uncover, turn up the heat and cook until any liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

4 Prick the base of the pastry case all over with a fork, then use some scrunched-up baking parchment to line it. Tip in some baking beans, then cook on the hot baking sheet for 12 mins. Remove the parchment and beans, then bake for 13 mins more. Leave to cool slightly, then spoon the leeks into the pastry case. 5 Mix together the cream, crème fraîche, whole egg and egg yolks. Season well, then gently fold in the crabmeat. Carefully pour over the leeks, then scatter over the cheese.

6 Return the tart to the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 35-40 mins, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is just set in the middle (it will continue to cook as it cools). Leave to cool for 15 mins, then remove from the tin and serve.

GOOD TO KNOW 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 712 kcals • fat 54g • saturates 32g • carbs 35g • sugars 3g • ibre 4g • protein 18g • salt 1g