Savoury Tarts and Flans
Cooking Skills: Pastry 1
Chapter 3 · Savoury Tarts and Flans
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The basics
A savoury tart is a blind-baked case with a filling that is mostly cooked vegetables and cheese, not custard. This makes it quicker and avoids the soggy bottom that wet custard can cause. Quiche and other egg custard fillings are in Cooking Skills: Eggs 2, chapter 4; these tarts have a lighter, more rustic style, and are good hot, warm or cold.
The skill is moisture control. Vegetables such as tomatoes, mushrooms and courgettes are mostly water. Cook or salt them first, spread a thin barrier of mustard, pesto or cheese on the case, and don't overfill. Make the case in advance (see Cooking Skills: Pastry 1, chapter 2), because a hot tart on a crisp base is the best part.
The method
- Blind-bake and seal the case and let it cool a little so the barrier does not melt into it.
- Spread a barrier layer (a thin coat of Dijon mustard or a sprinkle of cheese) over the base.
- Cook watery vegetables first, or salt and drain them, so they do not flood the case.
- Arrange the filling evenly and keep it below the rim so it does not spill over.
- Bake on a preheated tray at 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6) until the filling is cooked and golden at the edges.
| Tart | Main filling | Barrier | Time in oven (approximate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato and mustard | Sliced tomatoes | Dijon mustard | 25 minutes |
| Onion and cheese | Browned onions, Gruyère | Cheese | 20 minutes |
| Mushroom and thyme | Fried mushrooms, crème fraîche | Cheese | 20 minutes |
| Roasted vegetable | Roasted peppers and courgette | Mustard | 20 minutes |
Allergens: pastry contains gluten (flour) and milk (butter); egg washes contain egg. Use a plant block fat for a dairy-free version, and note that gluten-free flour needs a different method.
Cooling: let the tart stand for 10 minutes before cutting; hot cheese and vegetable filling can burn the mouth.
Try it
A tomato and mustard tart
The simplest tart: mustard, ripe tomatoes, thyme and cheese. Salt the tomato slices for 15 minutes and pat them dry to draw out water. Serve warm with a green salad.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1 blind-baked case (chapter 2)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, sliced 5 mm thick
- 50 g mature Cheddar or Gruyère, grated
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch flaked sea salt
- Salt the tomato slices and leave them on kitchen paper for 15 minutes, then pat dry. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6).
- Spread the mustard over the case, scatter half the cheese, then overlap the tomatoes in circles. Top with thyme and the rest of the cheese.
- Drizzle with oil and bake on a hot tray for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is golden. Rest for 10 minutes.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk and mustard.
An onion and cheese tart
Onions cooked slowly turn sweet and jammy and carry the whole tart. Don't rush them: 25 minutes over a low heat is the skill. Gruyère melts well and has a nutty flavour.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1 blind-baked case (chapter 2)
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 100 g Gruyère, grated
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Cook the onions with the butter, oil and a pinch of salt over a low heat for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until golden and soft. Add the thyme.
- Spread the mustard over the case, then the onions, then the cheese.
- Bake at 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6) for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbling and golden.
Allergens: pastry contains gluten (flour) and milk (butter); egg washes contain egg. Use a plant block fat for a dairy-free version, and note that gluten-free flour needs a different method.
A mushroom and thyme tart
Mushrooms hold enormous amounts of water. Fry them over a high heat in a wide pan until the liquid has gone and they turn golden, and the tart will be rich, not soggy. Crème fraîche gives a creamy bind.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1 blind-baked case (chapter 2)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 400 g mushrooms, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tbsp crème fraîche
- 50 g Gruyère, grated
- Fry the mushrooms in the butter over a high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the water has gone and they are golden, adding the garlic and thyme for the last minute. Cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the crème fraîche, then spoon into the case and top with the cheese.
- Bake at 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6) for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
Allergens: contains gluten and milk.
A roasted vegetable tart
Roasting vegetables in a hot oven drives off water, concentrates flavour and browns the edges, so the tart is full of flavour and not wet. The same method works for any mix of peppers, courgette, aubergine and red onion.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1 blind-baked case (chapter 2)
- 1 red pepper, cut in chunks
- 1 courgette, sliced
- 1 red onion, cut in wedges
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 75 g mature Cheddar or crumbled feta
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Toss the vegetables with the oil and a pinch of salt and roast at 220°C (200°C fan, gas 7) for 25 minutes until browned at the edges. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Spread the mustard over the case, add the vegetables and top with the cheese and thyme. Lower the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6).
- Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is golden.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk and mustard.
Experiments
Sealing with egg or not
Crispness.
- Fill one sealed case and one unsealed case with the same wet topping, bake both and cut a slice from each.
Look for: The sealed base stays crisp; the unsealed one is damp. The egg wash is worth the 5 minutes.
Filling hot or cold
Base.
- Spoon hot mushroom filling into one case and cooled filling into another.
Look for: Hot filling softens the base before it bakes; cooled filling keeps the case crisper.
Cheese at the bottom or the top
Barrier or crust.
- Put cheese under the filling in one tart and on top in another.
Look for: Cheese under the filling forms a barrier that keeps the base crisp; on top, it browns and gives a crunchy topping. Use both.
Metal or ceramic tin
Heat.
- Bake the same tart in a metal loose-bottomed tin and in a ceramic flan dish.
Look for: The metal tin conducts heat well and crisps the base; the ceramic is slower and the base is paler. Preheat a ceramic dish on a tray.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato and mustard tart | ||||
| Onion and cheese tart | ||||
| Mushroom and thyme tart | ||||
| Roasted vegetable tart | ||||
| Sealing with egg or not | ||||
| Filling hot or cold | ||||
| Cheese at the bottom or the top | ||||
| Metal or ceramic tin |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Soggy base | Wet filling, no barrier, or not blind-baked | Seal the case, spread a barrier, and cook watery vegetables first |
| Watery tart | Tomatoes or mushrooms not drained | Salt and drain tomatoes; fry mushrooms until dry |
| Filling spills over | Overfilled | Keep the filling below the rim |
| Cheese greasy or burned | Too hot or too much cheese | Use less cheese; lower the heat |
| Pastry burns at the edges | Edges too thin or oven too hot | Cover the edge with foil strips |
| Tart falls apart when cut | Cut while hot | Rest it for 10 minutes before cutting |
Steam from a hot pie: a pie keeps hot steam and boiling filling inside the crust. Rest it for 10 minutes before cutting, cut from the side with the pie held steady, and keep your face back when you break the lid.
Keeping and freezing: raw pastry keeps in the fridge for about 2 days wrapped tightly, and freezes for about 3 months (general guidance). Cooked pies and tarts keep for about 2 days chilled; reheat pies until steaming hot all the way through, and freeze cooked pies for no more than about 2 to 3 months.
- I can seal a blind-baked case.
- I can use a barrier layer under the filling.
- I can cook watery vegetables so they do not flood the tart.
- I can bake on a preheated tray.
- I can fix a soggy or overflowing tart.