Beautiful caramelised leeks on flaky pastry. It is deceptively simple to make, but such a showstopper. The tart cooks upside down in the style of a tarte tatin. This keeps the pastry beautifully crisp, while the leeks become completely tender. The recipe uses ready-made puff pastry to keep things really easygoing.
SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT NEEDED
You will need a shallow 20 cm pan that is suitable for both hob and oven. Cast iron is best – I love these Staub ones.
iNGREDIENTS
Makes 2-3 portions
6 medium leeks
A few sprigs thyme
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tbsp butter, at room temperature
320g ready rolled all butter puff pastry (I like this one)
salt and pepper
Olive oil
To garnish:
Crumbled goat’s cheese
A few mint leaves, washed
Toasted pine nuts
Looking for substitutions?
You can keep this vegan with a few simple swaps. Use maple syrup instead of honey, oil-based puff pastry like Jus-Roll and a plant based alternative for the cheese.
Make the toppings your own and adapt them to the flavours you love, below are some suggestions:
Feta, za’atar and dill
Mozzarella, lemon zest and basil
Crispy white beans or crispy pancetta and thyme
RECIPE
- Heat the oven to 180c fan
- Cut the leeks in half lengthways and cut off their roots. Wash them thoroughly by submerging in cold water. be very careful to keep them in tact but run your fingers through the layers gently to remove any grit. Pat dry then place cut side down on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, salt and scatter over the thyme. Roast for 20 mins until just tender
- Generously butter a 20 cm cast iron pan. Drizzle honey all over the base.
- Remove any hard outer parts from the leeks, then trim them down to size (from the green end first) so that they fit snuggly covering the base of the pan
- Cut the puff pastry to the same size as the pan and place on top of the leeks. Pierce several times with a sharp knife and place on a medium heat on the hob. Let it heat for 4-5 mins, then place in the oven. Cook until the pastry is nicely golden (about 25 mins), then remove from the oven
- Leave to stand for 5 mins before turning out very carefully onto a chopping board. If any leeks are stuck in the pan just scrape them out with a spatula and add back onto the tart
- Top with the goat’s cheese, mint and pine nuts
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