Brussels sprouts, blue cheese and chestnut tartlets
- Easy
- To make about 8 tartlets, or one 22cm tart-tin
Ingredients
- 120g Plain flour
- 70g Butter
- 300ml Double cream
- 3 Egg yolks
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 60g Chestnuts, shelled and roughly chopped
- 80g Colston Bassett cheese, crumbled (but you can use any blue cheese you prefer)
- 150g Brussels sprouts, inner cores removed and leaves finely shredded
- ¼ Whole nutmeg, freshly grated to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
- STEP 1
Sift the flour and pinch of salt into the bowl of a food processor; add 60g of the butter and blitz for about 20 – 30 seconds, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Through the top of the food processor, with the motor still running, add between 1 and 2 tbsp. ice-cold water until a rough dough forms and begins to just ball together. Remove from the food processor and gently shape to form a round. Cover in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Alternatively, use shop bought shortcrust pastry.
- STEP 2
With the remaining butter, gently fry the sprouts over a moderate heat with a pinch of salt and nutmeg until soft. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
- STEP 3
Meanwhile, scatter the worktop with a light dusting of flour and roll the pastry approximately 1cm thick.
- STEP 4
Line the tart tins and cut to size.
- STEP 5
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- STEP 6
In a jug beat the eggs into the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set to one side.
- STEP 7
Preheat the oven to 190°.
- STEP 8
Blind bake the tart cases covered with a square of greaseproof and filled with baking beans to prevent the pastry from rising. This can take anywhere from between 15 minutes for individual cases to 30 minutes for a larger tart case; until the pastry is crisp throughout. Remove from the oven.
- STEP 9
Remove the baking beans and greaseproof and fill each of the cases with a portion of brussels sprouts, blue cheese and chestnuts. Place the tart cases on a flat baking sheet and gently fill each of the tart cases with enough of the tart filling to come just shy of the top of the tartlet.
- STEP 10
Reduce the oven to 180° and cook the tartlets for 10 – 12 minutes until the filling sets and the brussels sprouts and blue cheese begin to bubble and just caramelise in places. Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a wire rack.