Description
A rich and savory crab, leek, and cheddar tart featuring a buttery shortcrust pastry filled with sautéed leeks, creamy double cream and crème fraîche custard, sweet white crabmeat, and sharp cheddar cheese. Perfect as a luxurious lunch or elegant dinner dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 150g cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1½ tbsp very cold water, plus extra if needed
Filling
- 10g butter
- 2 leeks (about 500g), sliced into 2cm rings
- 200ml double cream
- 100ml crème fraîche
- 1 large egg, plus 3 egg yolks
- 200g white crabmeat
- 35g cheddar, grated
Instructions
- Make the Pastry: Put the flour, butter, and a good pinch of salt into a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Combine the egg yolk with 1½ tablespoons of very cold water, then add this to the mixture and blitz again until the pastry comes together into a ball, adding a little more water if necessary.
- Roll and Chill Pastry: Lightly dust a rolling pin and a large sheet of baking parchment with flour. Roll out the pastry on the parchment and use it to line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill the pastry in the refrigerator for 1 hour until firm.
- Cook Leeks: Heat the 10g butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, stir well, season with salt, and add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook the leeks for 15 minutes until soft. Remove the lid, increase the heat, and cook until any liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Blind Bake Pastry: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/gas mark 6 with a baking sheet inside. Prick the base of the pastry case all over with a fork, then line it with baking parchment and baking beans. Place on the hot baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans and bake for another 13 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked through. Let the pastry cool slightly.
- Assemble Filling: Spoon the cooled leeks evenly into the baked pastry case. In a bowl, whisk together the double cream, crème fraîche, whole egg, and 3 egg yolks. Season the mixture well with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the white crabmeat.
- Fill and Top Tart: Carefully pour the crab and cream mixture over the leeks in the pastry shell. Scatter the grated cheddar evenly on top.
- Bake the Tart: Return the tart to the oven on the baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is just set in the middle (the filling will continue to firm as it cools).
- Cool and Serve: Allow the tart to cool for 15 minutes before removing it from the tin. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use fresh white crabmeat for the best flavor and texture.
- If you don’t have crème fraîche, sour cream is a suitable substitute.
- Make sure to preheat the baking sheet before blind baking to help the pastry base cook through evenly.
- The tart is delicious served with a simple green salad or steamed vegetables.
- Any leftover tart can be refrigerated and gently reheated the next day.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins
- Category: Tart
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: crab tart, leek tart, cheddar tart, seafood tart, savory tart, British tart, creamy tart, brunch recipe, dinner recipe
