Sprout, comté & walnut tart

The most seasonal sprouts with this flavourful tart. That combines comté cheese and walnuts in an amazing spelt and pumpkin seed pastry case.

Prep: 25 mins
Cook:1 hrs 10 mins
Easy
Serves: 4

Ingredients

flour, for dusting
2 tbsp olive oil
knob of butter
1 leek, sliced
1 sharp green apple, diced
200g Brussels sprouts, shredded
1 tbsp lemon juice
200ml double cream
50g natural yogurt
100g comté(or vegetarian alternative), grated, plus extra to serve
3 eggs
freshly grated nutmeg
handful of walnuts
50g pumpkin seeds, blitzed to a crumb
150g spelt flour
1 tsp dried thyme
5g grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative
125g butter
1 egg yolk

Sprout, comté & walnut tart Method

Step: 1 To make the pastry first. In a bowl of food processor put the pumpkin seeds and pulse them briefly to a crumb. Then add the flour, thyme, parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), and ½ tsp salt and redo pulsing to combine. Now add butter and pulse to a breadcrumb consistency, and add the egg yolk and blitz again. Then add iced water to the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, and redo blitzing between additions till the dough clumps together (mine took 2 tbsp to reach this consistency). Tip out the dough into a bowl and bring it together with your hands into a smooth ball, add a bit more flour if it’s sticky. Cover whole in baking parchment and chill for about 30 mins.

Step: 2 Warm oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Once relaxed, powder work the surface with flour and roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. If it seems difficult to work with, then do this between two pieces of baking parchment. Rule a 23cm round tart tin with pastry, prick out the base, and fill with parchment and baking beans. Blind bake for about 15 minutes, then take off the beans and parchment and bake for the next 12 minutes. Take out from the oven and lessen the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Step: 3 In a pan heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Lightly fry the leek with a pinch of salt and fresh black pepper grinding for 6-8 mins or till softened and fragrant. Now add the apple and sprouts and fry for the next 5 minutes or till the sprouts are softened and the apple is coloring. Take off from the heat squeeze the lemon juice over, and continue tossing to coat.

Step: 4 Mix double cream, yogurt, cheese, eggs, and a good nutmeg grating. Season and whisk till combined. Spill half of the custard into a tart case and top with half the leek and sprout mix. Spill in the custard and top with the leftover sprout mixture. On top of the tart dot walnuts around.

Step: 5 Now bake for about 20-25 mins or until puffed and golden, later take out from the oven and allow to settle for 10 mins before slicing. Disperse over a little grated comté (or vegetarian alternative) and serve.