Cheddar and chard tart with cheese and oatmeal pastry
- Published: 7 Oct 16
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
Cheddar and chard are paired with a robust oatmeal pastry in Debbie Major’s cheesy vegetarian tart.
Or take a look at Felicity Cloake’s cheddar and nutmeg tart, made with wholemeal pastry, for another cheesy showstopper that guests will love.
Ingredients
- 400g chard (well dried after washing)
- 25g unsalted butter
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 300ml crème fraîche
- 225g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
For the pastry
- 175g plain flour, plus extra to dust
- 65g medium oatmeal
- 50g chilled unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 50g chilled vegetable shortening (or lard for non-vegetarians), cut into chunks
- 75g mature cheddar, finely grated
- 2 tbsp iced water
You’ll also need…
- 25cm by 4cm deep, loose-bottomed tart tin
Method
- For the pastry, put the 175g flour into a food processor with the oatmeal, a pinch of salt, the butter and vegetable shortening or lard. Process briefly until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the grated cheddar, then whizz briefly to mix. Add the iced water and whizz briefly until the mixture comes together into a ball. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface, flatten into a fat disc, wrap in cling film, then chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the chilled pastry to the thickness of a pound coin on a lightly floured work surface, then use to line the tart tin. Prick the base here and there with a fork, then chill for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Cut the green leaves away from the white stalks of the chard. Bundle up the stalks, then thinly slice them across. Shred the green leaves. Set aside.
- Remove the pastry case from the fridge and line it with a crumpled sheet of non-stick baking paper, then fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are biscuit-coloured. Remove the paper and beans/rice, return the pastry case to the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes more until the base of the case is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Melt the 25g butter in a large pan, add the swiss chard stalks and a little salt and pepper, stir, then cover and cook for 2 minutes or until just tender. Uncover, stir in the shredded chard leaves and some salt and pepper, re-cover and cook for 5 minutes. Tip into a colander in the sink and gently press out the excess liquid.
- Mix the eggs and crème fraîche in a measuring jug with some salt and pepper until combined. Loosely layer the chard and grated cheese in the cooked pastry case, then pour the crème fraîche mixture over. Bake for 30 minutes or until set and richly golden. Leave to cool slightly, then remove from the tin to serve.
- Recipe from September 2016 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 580kcals
- Fat
- 45.4g (26.6g saturated)
- Protein
- 17.5g
- Carbohydrates
- 24.7g (1.3g sugars)
- Fibre
- 1.5g
- Salt
- 1.3g
delicious. tips
If the chard has very thick stalks, halve lengthways before slicing (step 3).
Make the pastry up to 24 hours ahead and keep wrapped in cling film in the fridge. The tart is best freshly baked but will keep chilled overnight. Bring back to room temperature to serve.
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