So So Simple Food

Richard Corrigan is a Michelin Star Irish Chef based in London. He also has his own TV shows and appears fairly regularly on Market Kitchen.
I watched him make this Parmesan Pastry Cheese and Leek Tart
Really appealed to me and I was right, it is excellent.

He just used goats cheese but I felt that the addition of Perfecto Italian Ricotta would give it a lift.

And it did. I made 2 tarts, one goats cheese only and the second a mixture of Goats Cheese and Ricotta.
The mixed cheeses definitely won. Much more creamy and if you are not wrapped in the flavour of Goats Cheese (i.e. my friend Mary) you will like this. Ricotta on its own, is a bit bland, but 50/50 is just great. Of course the Parmesan pastry is really excellent and easy peasy.
He used rings on a lined baking tray but you can use pie tins.

So here we go.
The Pastry
250g plain flour
75g freshly grated Parmesan
Pinch salt
100g cold butter grated
1 egg lightly beaten
1 egg yolk, for brushing

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl
Add grated cheese and grated butter

Rub the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs

 

Then pour in the egg.

Use your hands to bring the mix together to form a dough.

If the mixture is too wet add a little flour

Conversely if too dry add a splash of cold water.

 

Wrap the dough in cling film and transfer to the fridge to chill for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 120C

Grease your rings/pie tins with butter

Remove pastry from fridge and roll out to about 3 mm
Lightly lift the pastry on a rolling pin and line your tins.
You need to bake blind.
Don't be put off by this, its very simple.

Just cut a "catouche"...A circle of baking paper
Easy to make
Make an paper airplane

Put the point in the middle of your ring and cut off the outside
Open up and voila - A circle

Pop it into the pastry lined tin
Fill with rice or lentils
You can re-use these, just keep them in a plastic container till next time.

Bake for 20 minutes
Take out of oven
Brush with lightly beaten egg yolk
Bake into the oven 2-3 minutes
Cool.

Turn heat up to 170C
The Filling
3 eggs
700 mls double cream
sae salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 gns Soft goats Cheese
100 gms Perfecto Italiano Ricotta
1 large leek, outer leaves removed, washed and chopped

Blanch leeks in boiling salted water (about 3 minutes)
Mix eggs and cream together in a bowl
Season with Salt and Pepper
Gently stir in Goats cheese, Ricotta and leeks

Fill cooled pastry cases with mixture

Cook in oven 15- 20 minutes
Test with a knife
It should come out clean.
Don't overdo it though
Nothing worse than a tough tart.
Look at that. Yumo!

Cool to room temperature and serve with a nice little green salad on the side.
OR Not!

Ricotta Desserts next and a competition
You can win this wonderful set
Le Creuset baking dish with a Ramekin Set and a spatula 
Plus some Perfecto Italiano Ricotta
Details in my next blog.

Wouldn't mind it myself.