Usk Valley Leek Tart

Usk Valley Leek Tart
  

INGREDIENTS - PASTRY

• 175g/7oz plain flour
• 75g/3oz butter, cut into pieces
• 50g/2oz Nantybwla, Cenarth or Caerphilly cheese, grated
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp of chopped chives or 1 tsp of thyme
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 3 tbsp water (more if needed)

INGREDIENTS - FILLING

• 3 leeks, cleaned, trimmed, sliced and sautéed until soft
• 4 hardboiled eggs, shelled and sliced
• 225g/8oz Llangloffan farmhouse cheese or a similar mature Welsh cheese

INGREDIENTS - BECHAMEL SAUCE

• 600ml/1 pint milk
• 300ml/ pint double cream
• 1 bay leaf, slice of carrot, small stick celery, slice of onion, 6 peppercorns, 1 clove garlic
• Salt to taste
• 50g/2oz butter
• 50g/2oz flour
   

METHOD

1. Set the oven temperature to Gas 5, 190°C, 375°F.
2. To make the pastry...
3. Sift the flour, mustard powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
4. Rub the butter into the flour and make a well in the centre.
5. Place the yolk, water, cheese and herbs in the well and gradually mix in with the flour and butter to form a dough.
6. Roll out on a floured surface and line a 25cm / 10 inch buttered tart tin or 8 individual tart moulds.
7. Chill for 20 minutes. Line the pastry shell with baking parchment and baking beans.
8. Bake blind in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.
9. Remove the parchment and beans and cook for a further 15 minutes until the shell is golden and firm to the touch.
10. To make the sauce...
11. Heat together the milk, cream, bay leaf, peppercorns, carrot, celery, onion, garlic and nutmeg.
12. Bring almost to the boil, remove from the heat and cover with a lid, leave to cool.
13. Strain the flavoured milk into a jug.
14. In a clean saucepan, melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for one minute.
15. Add the milk a little at a time to the flour whisking all the time.
16. Bring to the boil stirring constantly, reduce the heat and cook for 2 minutes.
17. Add the cheese and melt into the sauce.
18. Assemble the tart...
19. Place the cooked leeks into the pastry shell, arrange the sliced egg on top, then pour over the cheese sauce.
20. Top with the remaining grated cheese and the breadcrumbs, place under a hot grill until golden.
21. As a short-cut, buy ready-made pastry.