Onion Tart with Rocket and Cheddar
A stunning vegetarian tart recipe that is bound to impress. With a shortcrust pastry base, the tart is filled with cheddar cheese, onions and peppery rocket.
Introduction
The key to success with this tart is to make sure you have plenty of onion filling. If there’s too much egg and not enough onion you end up with an omelette instead of a tart. Make this in a tart tin or cut the pastry into an oblong and cook on a baking sheet.
Ingredients
| 250g | shortcrust pastry (see ingredients below) |
| 1 | tbsp olive oil. |
| 4 | medium onions, finely sliced |
| 3 | eggs |
| 150ml | double cream |
| 2 tbsp | chopped flat leaf parsley |
| 50g | rocket leaves |
| 100g | Cheddar cheese, freshly grated |
| salt and freshly ground | |
| black pepper | |
| For the shortcrust pastry: | |
| 170g | plain flour |
| pinch of salt | |
| 45g | butter, chilled and cubed |
| 40g | vegetable shortening or lard, chilled and cubed. |
Essential kit
You will need a 20cm tart tin.
Method
Make the shortcrust pastry . Put the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening or lard and rub in with your fingertips until it resembles crumbs. Ad 4-5 tablespoons cold water and use your hands to mix it into a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.
Roll out the pastry and use it to line a 20cm tart tin. Leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas mark 5. Cover the pastry with a piece of baking parchment and fill it with baking beans, rice or dried pasta. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the onions until soft and lightly coloured. Leave to cool, then spread them over the pastry. whisk the eggs and cream together, then add the parsley, rocket and grated Cheddar. Season with salt and pepper. spread this over the onions and cook the tart in a preheated oven at 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas mark 5 for 20 minutes.
