Cockle and Leek Tart
A savoury Welsh tart filled with tender leeks, briny coastal cockles, and rich double cream in crisp shortcrust pastry.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •23cm loose-bottomed tart tin
- •greaseproof paper
- •baking beans
- •frying pan
- •mixing bowl
- •whisk
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 33 g
- carbs
- 31 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 19 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and grease a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin.
- 2
Line the tin with shortcrust pastry, press into the edges, and trim away any excess.
- 3
Prick the pastry base with a fork, line with greaseproof paper, and fill with baking beans.
- 4
Bake blind for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans, then bake for 5 minutes until dry.
- 5
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat on the hob.
- 6
Add the sliced leeks and fry gently for 8 to 10 minutes until soft but not browned.
- 7
Whisk the eggs, double cream, whole milk, chives, salt, and pepper together in a bowl.
- 8
Spread the softened leeks, cockles, and crumbled cheese evenly across the baked pastry base.
- 9
Pour the egg mixture over the filling, ensuring it reaches all corners evenly.
- 10
Bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 25 to 30 minutes until set and golden on top.
- 11
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before releasing and slicing.
Chef's tips
Rinse fresh cockles carefully under cold water to remove any lingering sand before cooking. Blind baking the pastry case is crucial to prevent the custard from making the crust soggy.
Ingredient substitutions
- Caerphilly cheese → mature Welsh Cheddar
- fresh cockles → canned cockles in brine, well drained and rinsed
Storage
Store leftover tart in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat slices on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 170°C for 10 minutes until heated through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Skipping the cockle rinse, which can introduce unpleasant grit into the custard.
- •Overbaking the tart until the egg filling puffs up and curdles.
- •Pouring hot leeks straight into the raw egg mixture, which prematurely cooks the eggs.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Cockle and Leek Tart?
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