Leek & Feta Tart
I am a big fan of savoury tarts and I love how versatile they are and how you can play around with different seasonal ingredients. I normally use the same recipe for the base and for the egg/cream mix and only tweak the remaining ingredients. I always try to pick a couple of contrasting tastes. In this case, the sweetness of the leeks and the saltiness of the feta make this one of my favourite combinations.
Savoury tarts are quite old and they started appearing on tables around Europe during the middle ages. The first ones were made out of bread dough and only later on they switched to shortcrust or puff pastry. In Italy, not only was the crust made of bread but it was often very tough and people would only eat the filling leaving the rest. During the Renaissance the most famous Italian Chef, Bartolomeo Scappi published a series of local recipes which included four different types of savoury tarts. One from Naples, one from Genova, Milano and Bologna. The bases were all more or less the same and only the fillings changed along with the fat of choice. Southern Italy would use olive oil while Northern Italy would chose butter.
Another fun fact is that the most famous of all savoury tarts, the quiche lorraine, is actually not French but originates in Germany. The word ‘Quiche’ comes from the German word ‘Kuchen’ which means cake. You’ll be surprised how many famous french staples do not originate in France but, I am not going to tell you more as I don’t want to start a culinary war. I only want to eat a good savoury tart!
Quiche or Kuchen?
Ingredients
for the crust
175 plain flour
1 tsp sugar
1 pinch of salt
1/4 tsp smoky paprika (or Saffron if you prefer the taste)
115 butter
65-70 chilled water
1/4 tsp white vinegar
1 egg to eggwash the bottom of the tart (for crunchiness!)
for the filling
4 leeks
1 tsp of butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 eggs
50g di double cream
100g feta
salt & pepper
Step by Step
For the crust
Cube the butter and chill it in the fridge for 30min
Chill the water before you use it. The colder it is the better your pastry will turn out
If you are using the stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar, salt, paprika and butter. If you are doing it by hand rub the butter in the flour, sugar, salt & paprika mix
Add in the water in your stand mixer and mix. It will come together very quickly. The same applies if you are doing it by hand.
Shape the pastry as a disc and chill it for 2 hours
Grease an 8 inches tin with butter. Roll our your pastry and line your tart tin and chill it in the fridge for 30min
Preheat the oven at 180C. Cover you pastry tin with parchment paper and add baking beans (or rice if you don’t have baking beans). Blind bake your tart for a total of 30min. In the final 10min bake it without the baking bean so the bottom of your crust will be nice and golden
Whisk an egg and brush the bottom of your pastry. Put it back in the oven for 5min. This will coat the base of the tart and will prevent sogginess
For the filling
Wash and thinly slice the leeks. In a pan add the butter and oil. Season and sauté the leeks for 10-15mins until they are soft
In a bowl whisk the eggs, add in the double cream and season with salt and pepper
Add the leeks in your tart crust, cover them with your egg & cream mix. Crumble the feta on top & sprinkle with pepper
Put the tart back in the oven for 30min
Tips & Cheats
Secrets for the perfect crust:
Handle your dough as little as possible.
Always take time to chill the water and the butter.
Rest the dough in the fridge after you’ve made it and again after you’ve rolled it out and lined your tin.
If you are blind baking the crust, once it’s cooked and before you add the filling whisk an egg and brush the bottom of your pastry. Put it back in the oven for 5min. This will coat the base of the tart.
If you are baking the the tart straight with the filling, add a couple of tablespoons of cornflour between the base and the filling. The cornflour will absorb any excess liquid, leaving the bottom of your tart crunchy.
Preheat your oven with a heavy tray inside. Place your tin directly on the heavy tray. The heavy tray will conduct the heat evenly.