Wild Garlic and Cheddar Tart

Method

1. First, make the pastry. Put the flour, butter and salt in a food processor and whizz to fine breadcrumbs, or rub together by hand. Add the cheddar and pulse briefly to distribute. Add half of the water and mix to soft dough, adding more iced water if necessary. Shape the dough into a flattened ball, put it into a polythene bag and leave to rest in the fridge for at least half an hour.
2. Meanwhile, put the wild garlic leaves in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for two minutes then drain and rinse under cold water to preserve their colour. Drain the leaves and squeeze them tight in your hands to extract as much water as possible. Tease out a few whole leaves for decoration and unravel them to lay flat. Chop the remaining leaves and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 200˚C and butter a 27cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Put a baking sheet, large enough to hold the tart tin, in the oven to preheat.
4. Flour your surface lightly and roll out the pastry to a thickness of about 3mm. Line the tart tin with the pastry. Trim the edges and prick the base of the pastry case with a fork. Put the tart tin in the oven on the hot baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove the tart case from the oven and turn the temperature down to 180˚C.
5. In a large jug, mix the cream with the egg yolks. Season well and add the cheddar and half the parmesan. Whisk until evenly combined.
6. Arrange the chopped wild garlic over the base of the tart case. Drape the reserved whole leave over the top in an attractive arrangement. Pour over the cream mixture, scatter the top with the remaining parmesan and bake for 20–25 minutes until risen, golden brown and set. Serve warm or cold.

Credits

Recipe and photos by Otherwise for Wild Food UK