Sussex Churdles
Traditional Sussex open savoury tarts filled with tender lamb's liver, smoky bacon, and fresh herbs, finished under a golden breadcrumb crust.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •Frying pan
- •4 individual tart tins (10cm)
- •Rolling pin
- •Mixing bowl
- •Baking tray
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 25 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 24 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rub the chilled butter into the flour with a pinch of salt until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- 2
Add cold water gradually and bring together into a firm pastry dough.
- 3
Wrap pastry in greaseproof paper and chill in the fridge for twenty minutes.
- 4
Fry chopped bacon and onion in a frying pan over medium heat until soft.
- 5
Add diced liver and fresh herbs, cooking for two minutes until lightly browned.
- 6
Season the liver mixture with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat.
- 7
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to three millimetres thickness.
- 8
Line four individual ten-centimetre tart tins with pastry and trim the edges.
- 9
Spoon the warm liver and bacon filling evenly into the tart cases.
- 10
Toss the breadcrumbs in melted butter and scatter over each tart.
- 11
Bake at 190°C (170°C fan) for twenty-five minutes until pastry and topping are golden.
Chef's tips
Do not overcook the liver in the pan, as it finishes cooking inside the pastry in the oven. For extra savoury depth, mix a tablespoon of grated mature English cheddar into the breadcrumb topping before baking.
Ingredient substitutions
- lamb's liver → pig's liver or calf's liver
- smoked streaky bacon → unsmoked back bacon or pancetta
Storage
Store cooled churdles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 180°C (160°C fan) for twelve to fifteen minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overcooking the liver on the hob, which makes the finished filling dry and grainy.
- •Rolling the pastry too thickly, resulting in a soggy undercooked base.
- •Using stale or coarse breadcrumbs that burn before the pastry bakes through.
Serving suggestions
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