Sometimes we see a recipe on a TV programme and just have to make it. We saw this on a River Cottage repeat, and made it the next day. The description is plain but it is such a creamy tart, we ate it with a spinach salad with quite a sharp dressing: to cut through the creaminess! Serves 4 as a main meal with salad
Shortcrust pastry
2 large or 3 medium leeks
Knob of unsalted butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g Dorset Vinny or other good blue cheese [it also works with cheddar] 2 medium eggs
2 medium egg yoks
350ml double cream

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3.

Trim the tough green leaves of the leeks, rinse and slice into 1cm rounds. Put the leeks into a saucepan with 100ml water, knob of butter and salt and pepper. Simmer gently until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserve the cooking liquid, set the leeks aside. Meanwhile, line a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin with the pastry, letting the excess pastry hang over the edges. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans, and bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove the tart out of the oven, take out the paper and beans and lightly prick the base with a fork. Bake for another five minutes until the base is dry but not too brown. Set the flan aside, trim the excess pastry with a small, sharp knife. Turn the oven temperature up to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Spread the cooked leeks in the tart case and cover with the grated cheese.

Whisk the eggs and egg yolks, cream and leek liquor in a bowl and beat until smooth. Season. Pour the custard over the cheese and leeks. Bake the tart for about 30 minutes – the custard should be just set when you gently shake the tin.

We served ours ‘just warm’ and it was ‘just lovely’. 5 to remember
precioso/a – lovely
una tarta – a tart
un puerro – a leek
el líquido – the liquid
el tenedor – the fork