Rosie Birkett’s recipe for how to turn leftover cheese into a delicious tart | Cheese
This tart is a brilliant way of transforming any cheese you might have in the fridge into a delicious meal. The salad and potatoes make it a more substantial spread, and are two elevated side dishes to have up your sleeve for when you’re having friends round – both would be equally great with a lemony roast chicken.
Lazy cheeseboard tart
Prep 30 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4-6
You can use any combination of cheese you fancy here; I like to have something that melts really well, such as a cheddar or comté, as well as a soft cheese such as brie, while blue cheese brings some edge. The cornichons and pickled onions add a lovely crunch and acidity. If you make the tart ahead, it’s worth reheating it, so the cheese oozes out when you slice it.
350g shortcrust pastry, from 1 x 500g block (use the rest for cheese biscuits, or freeze)
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 celery stick, leaves included, sliced
1 tbsp thyme leaves
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salted butter
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
3 eggs
A pinch of dried tarragon (optional)
Nutmeg, for grating
225ml double cream
250g mixed cheese (comté, cheddar, stilton, brie) – half the hard cheese cut into 2cm cubes, the rest grated; soft cheese torn into chunks
95g mixed cornichons and pickled onions, drained, cornichons chopped, onions quartered
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a circle that’s big enough to line a 20cm, loose-bottomed tart tin, making sure it’s no thicker than a £1 coin. Gently lower the pastry into the tin and press it into the base and edges – I use a little piece of excess pastry to press it into the edges. Lightly prick the base all over with a fork, but without piercing all the way through, then chill for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, fry the onion, celery, thyme and a pinch of salt in the olive oil and butter on a medium heat for eight to 10 minutes, until soft and aromatic, but not coloured. Stir in a splash of Worcestershire sauce, take off the heat and leave to cool….
..