INGREDIENTS
Serves : 6
- For the pastry
- 200g (7 oz) plain flour
- 100g (3 1/2 oz) chilled butter, cubed
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 25g (1 oz) Parmesan or Cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 large eggs
- For the filling
- 110g (4 oz) creamy goat’s cheese
- 1 (200g) tub crème fraîche
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- ground nutmeg, to taste
- 250g (9 oz) hard goat’s cheese
- 2 large eggs
- pepper, to taste
Directions for Goat’s cheese and chive tart
- Preheat oven to 200 C / Gas 6. Grease a 20cm (8 in) loose base tart tin 2.5cm (1 in) deep.
For the pastry:
- In a food processor combine the flour and butter, a pinch of salt and cayenne. Blend until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the grated Parmesan or Cheddar cheese and 1 egg, then pulse until combined. Add a little cold water, if necessary. Cover and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Roll out the pastry and press into the prepared tin and prick the bottom.
- Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans.
- Bake blind for 15 minutes in preheated oven. Take out of the oven and remove paper and beans.
- Bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes.
- Lightly whisk 1 egg and use to brush the inside of the pastry shell.
- Bake for 1 minute. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 180 C / Gas 4.
For the filling:
- Mix the remaining 2 eggs with creamy goat’s cheese, crème fraîche and chives. Season with pepper and nutmeg. Crumble the hard goat’s cheese into the egg mixture and pour into pastry shell.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until set. Cool 5 minutes before taking from tin.
Tip
You can freeze the cooked tart. Reheat for 20 minutes at 200 C / Gas 6.
Parmesan cheese is not truly vegetarian, as it contains animal rennet. To make this dish 100% vegetarian, omit the cheese or find a suitable vegetarian substitute made without animal rennet. In supermarkets look for the ‘parmesan style hard cheeses’ which are suitable for vegetarians.
