Thyme and nutmeg star in this stunning tart of cheese and greens – a great vegetarian main course
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
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Roasting cauliflower intensifies its sweetness, so don’t opt to steam or boil instead. This is great for spring – it’s the spinach – and even those who aren’t much into vegetables love it. If you can’t get Lancashire cheese, which is creamy and mild, use a mild Cheddar cheese, grated, or a mild goat’s cheese, crumbled.
Requires 1 hour refrigerating time and 15 minutes cooling time
Overview
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
1 hr
45 mins
Serves
6
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 150g cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg yolk
For the filling
- 1kg cauliflower
- 8 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- freshly grated nutmeg
- 4½ tbsp olive oil
- 15g butter
- 2 medium onions, finely sliced
- 400g spinach, washed and coarse, stalks removed (prepared weight)
- 2 large eggs, plus 2 large yolks
- 325ml double cream
- 80g Lancashire cheese, grated
- 10g Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
Method
Step
To make the pastry, put 250g plain flour, 150g cold cubed butter and ¼ tsp salt into a food processor and whizz until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Step
Mix 1 egg yolk with ½ tbsp very cold water, add to the flour mix and whizz again. Add another ½ tbsp cold water if needed for the pastry to come together in a ball. Press this into a disc, wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step
Heat the oven to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6.
Step
Break 1kg cauliflower into small florets, removing the tough core and the leaves – you can use those in a soup. Tumble the florets into a roasting tin with 8 thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves.
Step
Season, grate over some nutmeg and add 1½ tbsp of the olive oil. Toss this around and roast the cauliflower for about 25 minutes, turning it over a couple of times, until tender. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Turn off the oven; you’ll be using it again later.
Step
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil and 15g butter in a heavy-based pan and cook 2 finely sliced onions over a medium heat at first, until they are softening, then season.
Step
Chop 400g spinach, add it to the onions and lower the heat.
Step
Put the lid on – leave a little gap at one side – and sweat until completely soft. Make sure the onions don’t burn.
Step
Remove the lid, whack up the heat and boil off some of the moisture so the mixture isn’t too wet.
Step
Roll the pastry out on a piece of lightly floured baking parchment, into a 32cm circle. Use this to line a 26cm loose-bottomed tart tin that’s 3cm deep. Trim any overhang and wrap the scraps in cling film.
Step
Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork then chill in the fridge or freezer until firm and cold (this is crucial) – about 30 minutes.
Step
Heat the oven again, to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6, and put a metal baking sheet into it.
Step
Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans.
Step
Bake on the sheet for 10 minutes then remove the paper and beans, and cook for another 8 minutes. Leave to cool.
Step
Lower the oven temperature to 180C/170C fan/gas mark 4. Use the leftover raw pastry to patch up any little cracks you see.
Step
Mix 2 whole eggs, 2 yolks and 325ml double cream together in a jug. Season and add some grated nutmeg and 80g grated Lancashire cheese.
Step
Take the thyme and bay leaves out of the cauliflower. Spoon the cauliflower into the pastry case.
Step
Mix the onions and spinach together, season and spread this over the cauliflower.
Step
Pour the cream mixture on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle with 10g grated Parmesan. Return the tart to the baking sheet and cook for 40-45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling just set (it will go on cooking in the residual heat).
Step
Cool for 15 minutes before transferring to a plate and serving.