Tarte aux Poireaux

Don't Make These Mistakes

Wash the leeks well, then cook off all their water.

Blind bake the case so it stays crisp.

Rest the tart before cutting for cleaner slices.

Making Tarte aux Poireaux

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1. Rub the cold butter into the flour with a pinch of the salt. Mix in the egg yolk and water to a dough, wrap and chill for 20 minutes.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

2. Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Roll out the pastry to fit a 24 cm tin, line with paper and beans and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for 5 minutes.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

3. While the case bakes, melt the 30 g butter, add the leeks and the rest of the salt, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 minutes until the liquid has gone.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

4. Beat the eggs with the cream and nutmeg. Reduce the oven to 180°C / 355°F.

   Mark done

5. Spread the leeks in the case, scatter over the cheese and pour over the egg mixture.

   Mark done

6. Bake for 40 minutes until just set and golden. Rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

   Mark done Start 40 min timer

Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.

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What's Going On Here

Salt the leeks as they cook, and cook them slowly. Leeks hold a great deal of water, and a tart filled with watery leeks is the reason a savoury tart turns soggy. Sweated gently in butter with a lid on for 10 minutes and then uncovered to drive off the water, they turn soft, sweet and almost jammy.

Wash them well, because soil hides between the layers. Slice them into thin rings, then tip them into a bowl of cold water and lift them out, leaving the grit behind. Blind bake the case first, until it is pale gold, so the cream does not seep into raw pastry. The filling is eggs and cream with nutmeg, enough to set around the leeks without turning to custard.

The tart is ready when the filling is just set in the middle, with a slight wobble, and golden at the edges. Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting. It is good warm for lunch with a green salad, and it travels well in a picnic. A handful of grated Gruyère in the filling adds depth.

Storage and Reheating

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat at 160°C / 320°F for 15 minutes.

If You're Missing Something

• In a sauce, full-fat crème fraîche can usually take the place of the double cream; single cream is thinner and more likely to split if it boils, so keep it below a simmer.

Good With

• Green salad
• Dijon vinaigrette
• White wine

Still Wondering?

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

Vegetarian when made with a hard cheese made without animal rennet in place of the gruyère.

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