Description
A delicious and elegant Crab, Leek & Cheddar Tart featuring a buttery shortcrust pastry filled with tender leeks, succulent white crabmeat, and a creamy cheese custard topping. Perfect as a savory lunch or light dinner, this tart combines delicate seafood flavors with the richness of cheddar and cream for a comforting yet refined dish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the 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)
- Pinch of salt
For the Filling:
- 10g butter
- 2 leeks (about 500g), sliced into 2cm rings
- 200ml double cream
- 100ml crème fraîche
- 1 large egg
- 3 large egg yolks
- 200g white crabmeat
- 35g cheddar, grated
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Make the Pastry: Place the plain flour, cold butter cubes, and a pinch of salt into a food processor. Blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk with 1½ tablespoons of very cold water. Add this liquid to the food processor and pulse until the pastry comes together, adding a little more water if necessary to form a smooth ball of dough.
- Roll Out and Chill: Lightly dust a rolling pin and a large sheet of baking parchment with flour. Roll out the pastry on the parchment to fit a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Use the pastry and parchment to line the tart tin evenly. Chill the pastry-lined tin in the refrigerator for 1 hour until firm.
- Prepare the Oven and Baking Sheet: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) or gas mark 6, placing a baking sheet inside to heat.
- Cook the Leeks: Heat 10g butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, season with salt and pepper, stir well, and add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover the pan, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes until the leeks are soft. Remove the lid, increase heat, and cook further until any liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
- Blind Bake the Pastry: Prick the base of the chilled pastry case all over with a fork. Line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Place on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans, then bake for 13 minutes more until golden and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Assemble the 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 well with salt and pepper. Gently fold the white crabmeat into the cream mixture, being careful not to break up the crab too much.
- Add the Filling and Cheese: Carefully pour the crab and cream mixture over the leeks in the pastry shell. Scatter the grated cheddar evenly over the top.
- Bake the Tart: Return the tart on the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is just set in the center. It will firm up more as it cools.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the tart from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the tart tin and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Ensure the water added to the pastry is very cold to help achieve a flaky texture.
- You can prepare the pastry a day ahead and keep it chilled until ready to use.
- If fresh crabmeat is unavailable, high-quality canned crabmeat can be substituted.
- The tart can be served warm or cold; it pairs well with a crisp green salad.
- Blind baking the pastry prevents a soggy base and ensures it stays crisp with the moist filling.
- Adjust seasoning in the cream mixture according to the saltiness of the crab and cheese.
- Leftover tart can be refrigerated and gently reheated without losing flavor or texture.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: crab tart, leek tart, cheddar tart, savory tart, seafood tart, British recipe, baked tart
