Sweetcorn, leek and cheddar tart

Serves - 4

You’ll need

• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry
• 2 leeks, trimmed, halved lengthways and finely sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 25g butter
• 200g sweetcorn, fresh, tinned or frozen
• 3 eggs
• 150ml double cream
• 150g mature cheddar, grated
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Small handful chives, finely chopped, optional
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Get the pastry started

Heat the oven to 200°C fan. Unroll the puff pastry onto a lined baking tray and score a border around the edge, about 2cm in from the sides, being careful not to cut all the way through. This is what gives you that nicely puffed edge rather than something flat and a bit defeated.

2. Cook the leeks properly

Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and collapsed, but not coloured too much. Add the sweetcorn and cook for another 2 minutes, just to take the chill off and let everything get to know each other a bit.

3. Make the filling

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, double cream, Dijon mustard and most of the grated cheddar. Season with black pepper and a little salt, keeping in mind the cheese will already be doing some of the heavy lifting.

4. Build the tart

Spread the leek and sweetcorn mixture over the middle of the pastry, staying within the border. Pour over the egg and cheddar mixture as evenly as you can, then scatter the remaining cheese over the top.

5. Bake

Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden and the filling is set with just the slightest wobble in the middle. You want it bronzed and inviting, not baked into rubber.

6. Finish and serve

Leave the tart to sit for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Scatter over the chopped chives if using, then serve warm or at room temperature with a green salad alongside if you like.

A couple of helpful notes

- If you are using frozen sweetcorn, there is no need to thaw it fully first – just add it straight to the pan with the leeks.
- A little thyme or a pinch of chilli flakes works very nicely here if you want to nudge the flavour one way or the other.
- This is excellent for lunch the next day as well, which is always worth knowing.