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Tomato & Pont I’Evêque Proposal Tart

For 2 with leftovers

The quick rubbing and drawing together. The rolling, chilling, blind baking and goldening of pastry. It’s a tactile thing. And finally, filling the case and seeing the results prosper. As a child I couldn’t bear the feeling of melting butter between my fingers, rather like sand between my toes. I’m a little more worldly now, and love getting my hands stuck in. Nothing beats homemade pastry (though I have been known to cheat and buy shop-bought, if really short of time). This tart prompted a proposal from an old boyfriend of mine, Pat, so it must be good, surely?

Once you have mastered the basics, your tart options are endless. Broccoli and Saint-Agur; Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire and apple; fennel and Pecorino; pea, mint and feta; spinach, black olive and anchovy; wild porcini and Gruyère and so on. All you need to know is what marries well, which comes with practice and confidence.

Serve this tart with a well-dressed green salad, and homemade soda bread (or a good shop-bought one, if you haven’t the time). A simple but perfectly sating meal for two, which would be especially ideal if you’ve got a vegetarian on board too. The tart is a generous one: I use a 25cm diameter fluted flan tin that feeds four. That way you’ll have something tasty for leftovers.

The Pastry

200g plain flour, plus a little more for rolling

110g unsalted butter

Maldon sea salt

You can make the pastry separately from the tart, even a day before. Fill a generous mixing bowl with the flour, diced butter and a pinch of salt. With cold hands quickly rub it between your fingers. The lighter your touch, the more delicate your pastry will be. If done with finesse you will have superb results. When the butter is consistently combined with the flour, drizzle small amounts of cold water over it, bit by bit, and with a knife draw the breadcrumb-like mound together into a moist ball. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to fit your tin. Push it in all directions, so that it makes a circle a little bigger than the tin. Roll this up on to the rolling pin, and then unravel it gently over the tin, tucking the pastry into the edges and pressing firmly into the crinkles. Finally roll the rolling pin over the top of the tin to perfectly trim the sides to the correct height. Turn the oven to 250°C/Gas 9 or as high as it will go, but put the pastry-filled flan tin into the freezer. After 20 minutes, remove the flan tin, line it with greaseproof paper, and fill with baking beans, or dried chickpeas. Blind bake for 10 minutes. For the best pastry, remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for a further few minutes to dry out the base of the case. No one likes soggy pastry.

The Tomato & Pont I’Evêque Filling

750g cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon caster sugar

a little olive oil

4 medium free-range eggs

284ml double cream

freshly ground black pepper

Maldon sea salt

1 x Petit Pont I’Evêque or 250g Pont I’Evêque

2 teaspoons dried or fresh thyme

To make the tart, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and place cut side upwards in a roasting tin lined with greaseproof paper. Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with sugar and a little olive oil too. Place them in the oven and allow them to dry out – they’ll take on a rich, sweet flavour. They should take about an hour. Meanwhile, whisk up the eggs and cream in a measuring jug, with seasoning. Turn the tomatoes out into the baked pastry case and pat them down to make a dense rich red layer. Pour the eggy custard on top of the tomato and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven. Slice the Pont l’Evêque into strips and place on top of the nearly set and firming custard. Shred over the thyme, and return to the oven. Bake for a further half an hour, or until the cheese is blistering and turning golden and the tart is entirely set.