Tuesday Dinner - 2001 Tart Odyssey!!

Dinner on Tuesday evening at ours is always an interesting one, I am finally recovered from the weekends hi jinx and well and truly into the week. Pays in the bank and I feel the need to cook.

So here is what I cooked....

Gorgonzola, Leek and Chicken Tart with Rocket, Walnut and Pear Salad.

I am scared of pastry, mainly because I am never prepared and never willing to research - it is always off the cuff. Not puff! Like Stanley Kubrick's Ape man in the kitchen....Fire - Hot. Pastry - Hard! Burnt pastry - too hot! Urgh! oohh ahh! ahhh! aaaaahhhhhh!
Thankfully this time I experienced some success, the pastry was blind baked sufficiently to hold up through the cooking of the tart.

What I did:

Saute off three well washed and sliced leeks in some butter and oil, try and get up some colour on the leeks. Throw in some diced thigh, season with salt and pepper and loads of fresh thyme. You can add a dash of stock to de-glaze the pan, only if you want to keep it really moist and rich, but make sure you drain off any excess or cook it out. Turn the heat off before the chicken cooks through. Allow to cool.

Blind bake your shortcrust tart bases in small greased ramekin bowls, I cut the pastry base round first and then the outer rim with a long rectangle looped up. I pressed it down into the base and pierced the pastry. I blind baked them on about 180degC for at least 20-25 minutes or until I could see and feel the base starting to dry out. I should off turned off the fan as the rim was starting to brown up seriously! Oh well... ooohh ahhh ahahh ahh! I had seven eggs in a bowl with 80mls of cream (I had one egg per tart plus one for good fun) Whisked up to completely combined. Once the tarts were baked and the chicken and leek cool I sliced the Gorgonzola into "Meaty Chunks" and put one in the base of the tart and one on the top of the combined egg and cream mix with leek and chicken. This is seasoned before spooning into tarts. At this stage I am unsure of how long to cook it so I throw caution to the wind and try 15 mins on full noise. Once again the oven fan is taking its toll on my crust! AEEEEHHHHHH!!! Another 5 and a short rest in a oven (off) with the door ajar. My knife comes out clean so we're away.

Some rocket, walnuts, sliced bosh pear and a little vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, Pendleton lemon pressed oil and some good ole Dijon.
Magic - The first ooozing of Gorgonzola was my golden star of approval. This is certainly one to work on to get it to a cranking recipe, please give it a crack and let me know how it goes!!

Giles