STICKY SHALLOT AND BACON TART WITH WELSH RAREBIT TOPPING
A fabulous lunch dish or just use the Welsh rarebit recipe and spread on wholemeal baguettes and lightly toast for a decadent supper snack.
Serves 4 Pastry 200g plain flour 100g butter, cubed and chilled Pinch curry powder Pinch poppy seeds Water Welsh Rarebit
200g Lancashire cheese 100g Stilton 1fl oz milk 25g plain flour 25g breadcrumbs Three egg yolks Two teaspoons Dijon mustard
One tablespoon Worcestershire sauce To finish Mixed salad leaves Simple vinaigrette
Method: 1. For the pastry tarts – place the flour in a bowl and rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the curry powder and poppy seeds then enough water for it to come together to firm dough. Leave to rest in the fridge for 10 minutes. 2. Dust a work surface with some plain flour then roll the pastry out thinly and divide between four individual tart cases. Prick with a fork then bake blind for eight minutes until golden and crisp.
3. For the rarebit – place the Lancashire, Stilton and milk into a casserole pan and heat slowly until the cheese melts. 4. Add the flour and breadcrumbs and cook for one minute until the cheese thickens and comes away from the edge of the pan. 5. Remove from the heat, cool slightly then place in a food processor, add the egg yolks, mustard and Worcestershire sauce and blend until smooth. 6. For the sticky shallot filling. Heat the olive oil and fry the bacon until golden, add the chopped shallots and honey and cook on a low light for five minutes. Stir in the shredded spinach and season to taste.
7. When ready to serve divide the shallot mixture four tartlet cases, reserving some for garnish, cover with a disc of rarebit, ensuring it covers the whole tart. Bake in a hot oven for five minutes, finish off under a hot grill until glazed and nice and golden. 8. Serve with some mixed salad leaves in simple vinaigrette.