This tart is a brilliant way of transforming any cheese you might have in the fridge into a delicious meal. The salad and potatoes make it a more substantial spread, and are two elevated side dishes to have up your sleeve for when you’re having friends round – both would be equally great with a lemony roast chicken.
Lazy cheeseboard tart
Prep 30 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4-6
You can use any combination of cheese you fancy here; I like to have something that melts really well, such as a cheddar or comté, as well as a soft cheese such as brie, while blue cheese brings some edge. The cornichons and pickled onions add a lovely crunch and acidity. If you make the tart ahead, it’s worth reheating it, so the cheese oozes out when you slice it.
350g shortcrust pastry, from 1 x 500g block (use the rest for cheese biscuits, or freeze)
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 celery stick, leaves included, sliced
1 tbsp thyme leaves
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salted butter
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
3 eggs
A pinch of dried tarragon (optional)
Nutmeg, for grating
225ml double cream
250g mixed cheese (comté, cheddar, stilton, brie) – half the hard cheese cut into 2cm cubes, the rest grated; soft cheese torn into chunks
95g mixed cornichons and pickled onions, drained, cornichons chopped, onions quartered
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a circle that’s big enough to line a 20cm, loose-bottomed tart tin, making sure it’s no thicker than a £1 coin. Gently lower the pastry into the tin and press it into the base and edges – I use a little piece of excess pastry to press it into the edges. Lightly prick the base all over with a fork, but without piercing all the way through, then chill for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, fry the onion, celery, thyme and a pinch of salt in the olive oil and butter on a medium heat for eight to 10 minutes, until soft and aromatic, but not coloured. Stir in a splash of Worcestershire sauce, take off the heat and leave to cool. Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5, and put in a baking sheet to warm up.
Tear off a sheet of baking paper big enough to line the tin and scrumple it up. Unfurl it, line the chilled pastry with it and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 25 minutes, then remove the beans and paper. If the pastry has puffed up a bit, don’t panic – just gently pierce it with a fork to let the air out, again taking care not to pierce all the way through. Brush the pastry all over with one beaten egg and bake for eight minutes more, until golden.
Crack the other two eggs into a bowl, add any residual eggwash, and season with a little salt, pepper, dried tarragon and nutmeg. Whisk in the cream, then stir in the grated hard cheese, reserving a little for the top. Spread the onion mix across the base of the tart case, scatter the cornichons and pickled onions on top, followed by the chunks of the hard and the torn soft cheese. Pour over the cheesy custard mix, top with the reserved grated hard cheese and bake on a middle shelf for 25-30 minutes, until golden and just set.
Raw kale, parsley and garlic crouton salad
Prep 10 min
Cook 6 min
Serves 4-6
You can leave out the sultanas, but I love the sweetness they bring.
1 bunch cavolo nero, or other kale, leaves stripped off and roughly torn
For the dressing
2 tsp golden sultanas
4 tbsp sweet white-wine or rice vinegar
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
A big pinch of chilli flakes (I like aleppo pepper)
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
50g parmesan, grated
4 tbsp olive oil
For the garlic croutons
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
3 slices sourdough, cut into 2-3cm chunks
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Juice of ½ lemon
Flaky sea salt, to taste
Combine the sultanas and half the vinegar in a small pan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and leave to steep while you make the croutons.
Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, toss in the bread and fry for a few minutes on one side, until crisp and golden. Turn and fry on the other side, until the croutons are crisp and golden all over. Turn down the heat, add the remaining butter, garlic, parsley and lemon juice, and cook for a couple of minutes, basting the croutons as you go, until coated and the garlic is cooked. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel and season well with salt flakes.
To assemble, pour the steeped sultanas into a large salad bowl and add the rest of the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chilli flakes, garlic and half the parmesan, then season. Whisk to combine, then add the olive oil and whisk to emulsify. Add the kale and toss, massaging the dressing into the leaves until the greens are noticeably limper and their structure has been broken down a bit by the dressing. Scatter the croutons and remaining parmesan on top, and serve.
Brown butter potatoes with oregano, lemon, chilli and frazzled capers
Prep 5 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4-6
500g waxy new or pink fir potatoes, scrubbed
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp capers
½ tsp dried oregano
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
A pinch of red chilli flakes
Boil the potatoes in well-salted water for about 12 minutes, until tender. Drain, leave to cool slightly, then cut in half.
Melt the butter in a frying pan big enough to hold all the potatoes, allow it to bubble up, die back and then brown slightly as the milk solids caramelise, until it’s smelling deliciously nutty, then add the oil and fry the capers until crisp and frazzled. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the capers to a plate lined with kitchen towel.
Add lemon juice to the pan, then the potatoes, and saute them in the hot lemony butter for about five minutes, until coloured and caramelising at the edges. Add the oregano, lemon zest, garlic and chilli, and swirl around for a minute or two, until fragrant, then return the capers to the pan and stir to coat everything in the delicious butter. Transfer to a warmed bowl and serve.
