Categories: August

Ingredients

• 4 medium eggs, beaten, plus another, lightly beaten
• 150g freshly-shelled or frozen peas
• 4 x 25g slices smoked ham, roughly torn into large pieces
• 50g Gruyère, coarsely grated
• 100g Taleggio or mozzarella, cut into cubes
• 1/2 bunch of fresh chives, chopped
• 142ml carton double cream
• 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 100g unsalted butter, diced

Directions

1. Make the pastry. Put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and whizz to fine breadcrumbs. Then, with the machine running, add the single beaten egg and continue to whizz, until it starts to stick together (add a teaspoon of water if it is too dry). Bring together into a ball, and knead briefly until smooth. Roll out onto a lightly floured surface and use to line a 23cm x 4cm deep round fluted loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill for 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/fan 180˚C/gas 6. Prick the pastry base with a fork and line with baking paper and beans. Place on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10 minutes. Brush the pastry with a little of the remaining beaten eggs and bake for a further 5 minutes, until pale golden. Remove and reduce the oven temperature to 180˚C/fan 160˚C/gas 4.

3. Meanwhile, bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the peas and cook for 2-3 minutes if frozen, 4 minutes if fresh or until just tender. Drain well, refresh in cold water, then drain again.

4. Sprinkle the ham, cheeses, peas and chives in the pastry case. Beat the eggs with the cream and some seasoning, pour into the pastry case and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the filling is just set and pale golden in places. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove and serve warm or at room temperature, with a dressed rocket salad.

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