Mouth-watering Fountains Gold Cheddar and Beetroot Tart that will tantalize your taste buds and leave your guests wanting seconds.
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/388F/Gas 3.
Make the pastry first by combining 250g flour and 125g cold cubed butter together in a bowl using clean hands until the texture of breadcrumbs (use a food processor if you have one to save time). Slowly mix in 1 tbsp of cold water until just combined. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead together until you have a dough, form into a thick pancake, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up. Place on a lightly floured surface and roll the dough out so it’s just bigger than your tart tin. Lightly grease the tart tin with butter and line the tin with the pastry, gently pressing it into the tin then cutting away any excess pastry. Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes, pre-heat your oven to 170°c. Prick the base of the tart with a fork, line with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice then blind bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully remove the beans and paper then return to the oven for 5-7 minutes until the pastry is golden. The tart case is now ready for your filling.
Prepare the beetroot if not using precooked beetroot. Rinse the balls under running water, place in a pan of gently simmering water, pop the lid on the pan and allow the beetroot to gently cook for 30 minutes or until fork tender (like when you boil potatoes). Remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle top and tail the beetroot and rub away the skins, they should come away easily. Slice into 3-4 cm chunks and set aside. If using precooked beetroot, just slice into chunks.
Peel and slice the onion into strips. Peel and grate two cloves of garlic. Melt a knob of butter in a large pan set over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for a few minutes until golden and starting to caramelise, add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Take the pan off the heat and set aside.
Mix the cream, eggs, and grated Fountains Gold Cheddar together. Stir in the onions and garlic then pour into the tart case. Nestle in chunks of beetroot and top with a few sprigs of fresh dill.
Place in the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes until golden and slightly caramelised in places. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the tin for 10 minutes before removing from the tin. You can serve warm or leave to cool at room temperature before refrigerating.
Serve alongside a green salad.
