Crab, leek and Gruyere tart (with a gluten-free pastry option)
Summer’s here and our lovely kitchen coach Amy has come up with a suitably light and fresh recipe for a Crab, leek and Gruyere tart (with a gluten-free pastry option). Tried and tested in the Roundhouse bespoke kitchen in our Fulham showroom by our lucky team based there, we’re assured that it is absolutely delicious! Amy says that GF pastry can be quite hard to work with but it’s worth the effort, and it tastes very good. We’re definitely giving this one a go!
Crab, leek and Gruyere tart (with a gluten-free pastry option)
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
For the pastry – wholemeal
200g plain flour – we used half white, half wholemeal
pinch salt
125g butter, chilled and cubed
1 x egg, beaten
a drop of iced water, if necessary, to bind
For pastry – gluten-free
225g gluten-free plain white flour (we used Doves Farm gluten-free plain white flour blend)
1 tsp xanthan gum
pinch salt
100g butter, chilled and cubed
1 x medium egg, beaten
1-2 tbsp iced water, to bind
For the filling
Knob of butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 x leek, finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 x medium eggs
300ml crème fraiche
pinch cayenne pepper
100g brown crab meat
100g white crab meat
55g Gruyere cheese, grated
Method
1. Begin by making the pastry. For the ordinary pastry, tip the flour and a pinch of salt in to a food processor, and pulse to combine.
2. Drop in the butter, and pulse again until the mix resembles breadcrumbs, then with the motor running, add the egg and iced water if necessary. Don’t over mix in the food processor as this will make for hard pastry; instead tip out on to a floured work surface and gently bring together in to a ball with your hands. Flatten in to a smooth disc, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
3. If you are making the gluten-free pastry, follow the same method, adding the xanthan gum with the flour and salt. This pastry will be more crumbly than ordinary pastry, but don’t despair! You may need to pulse it together slightly longer to make it more smooth. Chill as above.
4. Whilst the pastry is chilling, melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan and sweat the leek with plenty of salt and pepper over a medium heat for 5-8 minutes, or until softened but not coloured. Tip on to a plate to cool.
5. Now back to the pastry. Roll out on a floured work surface to the thickness roughly of a pound coin, and use to line a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin
6. Gluten-free pastry requires more care when rolling out, and once you have your pastry in the tin, you will likely need to patch up any holes and cracks with some trimmings. Make sure you use water to glue, or the patched pieces of pastry won’t stick so well.
7. Prick the base all over with a fork, then rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Trim the edges of the tart case before baking.
8. Place a baking tray on the bottom shelf of the oven, and preheat to 170°C on:
- Gaggenau: Hot Air + Bottom Heat
- Miele: Intensive Bake
- Siemens:
- iQ300 – 3D Hot Air
- iQ500 – Pizza Setting
- iQ700 – Pizza Setting OR Intensive Heat
9. Line the pastry case with a disc of baking parchment, and tip in your baking beans, or uncooked pulses or rice. Bake the tart case blind for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and lift out the parchment and beans. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes. The heat you get from the floor of the oven on this function will help to crisp the pastry case nicely.
10. Whilst the pastry is cooking, beat the eggs in a measuring jug, then whisk in the crème fraiche, brown crab meat and a pinch of cayenne, and season well.
11. Remove the tart case from the oven to cool slightly, raise the baking tray to the second shelf up and increase the oven temperature to 180°C.
12. Now scatter the cooled leeks and white crab meat over the bottom of the pastry case. Pour in the egg and crab mixture, then scatter over the cheese.
13. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. The filling should be just set, with a slight quiver when you gently shake the tart.
14. Allow the tart to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes before removing to serve. Delicious with steamed new potatoes and a little gem salad.
**Any leftover pastry can be frozen for up to 3 months, or use it to make some jam tarts**
