Tender Stem Broccoli & Cheese (Blackstick Blue) Tart (Quiche) With Parmesan Pastry & Hot Honey

I’m a new convert to this cheese, creamy with a generous fruity tang, I know Blackstick Blue is going to be a regular in my cooking and on my plate.

 But as ever, if you can’t get your hands on it, find another tangy blue to use.

 Quiche or tart? Whatever you call it, it’s a great recipe to make for a light lunch or just because it’s bloody delicious.

 The pastry, filled with parmesan, gives it an extra umami taste which I love, and if not over handled, has layers of flake.

 And as for the hot honey, although an option, you have got to try it. It’s the perfect sweet savoury drizzle to tip this tart from good to great. - Find the recipe for hot honey here!

 Go on, give it a go and enjoy your sweet life!

Ready to eat

  What You Need

 Pastry

•  350g Plain Flour

• 250g Butter – See Tip Box

• 150g Parmesan – Finely grated

• 300mls (Approx.) Cold Water – See Tip Box

Keep the butter chunky

 Filling

•  300ml Double Cream

• 150g Blackstick Blue Cheese – See Tip Box

• 150g Tenderstem Broccoli

• 100ml Milk - See Tip Box

• 4 Large Eggs

• Salt & Pepper

• Hot Honey – Optional

Blaxkstick Bkue and tenderstem broccoli

 How It’s Done

 Pastry

•  Place the flour, and parmesan in to a large bowl and give it a stir or two to mix everything together.

• Put the pieces of cold butter into the bowl and using finger tips, two blunt knives or a pastry cutter (my preference) ‘cut’ the butter into the flour until it becomes small pieces and can still be seen in the flour.

Make sure lumps of butter are still visible

• Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in 250ml of the cold water, and using a blunt knife to stir the mixture around the bowl until it starts to come together into a dough – See Tip Box

• The dough should be soft but not sticky – add more water if needed and quickly bring the dough together into a rough bowl – DO NOT knead the dough.

the dough should be soft but not sticky

Leave the dough in the bowl and cover it with non-stick baking parchment or like I do, use the paper from the butter.

• Place the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes.

• DO NOT over handle the dough, and DO NOT knead it – handle as little as possible – See Tip Box

•  Prepare a 9’ (23cm) shallow loose bottomed tin by rubbing all over the inside of the tin with butter, making sure to get into the dents.

• Add a little flour and tap it all around the inside of the tin to coat the inside. Tap the tin to get rid of the excess.

• Set it aside until needed.

• Once it comes out of the fridge, cut the dough in half and wrap one piece of the dough in cling film and use for another bake such as my Tender stem Broccoli & Cheese Tart or double wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months – See Tip Box

• Add a very little bit of flour to the work surface and roll out one half of the pastry out into a circle to fit the prepared tin.

• Lay the pastry gently in the tin, and gently push the pastry into the corners and grooves of the tin – See Tip Box

• Use a fork to prick holes all over the bottom of the tin.

• Use a sharp knife go around the edge of the tin and trimming off the excess. 

Prick the bottom of the pastry

Place the lined tin in the freezer for 15 minutes

• While the pastry is in the freezer, place an oven tray in the oven and heat the oven to 180c.

• Time to blind bake the pastry – See Tip Box

• Once out of the freezer, cut a piece of non-stick baking parchment out, bigger than the tin, and pour in some baking beans, place the tin on the hot baking tray, and let the pastry bake for 12-15 minutes.

• Remove the baking beans and paper and put the tin back in the oven to dry out for another 10 -15 minutes – Until the bottom of the pastry is dry to the touch.

The egg and cream mixture

Filling

•  Bring a pot of water to the boil, add a good pinch of salt and once its boiling, put the broccoli in tit he water and let it cook for 2 minutes.

• Remove the broccoli from the water and place it into a bowl of ice water or sit it into a colander and let cold water run onto it until the broccoli is cold all the way through

• Once cold, remove it from the water and let it drain really well before using it. – See Tip Box

Make sure the broccoli is well drained

• Place the cream, eggs and salt and pepper into a small bowl and use a fork to beat together.

• Heat the oven to 180c

• Place the Tender Stem Broccoli evenly over the bottom of the pastry case.

• Break the cheese into rough chunks and place randomly over the top of the broccoli.

Lay chinks of cheese over the broccoli

• Gently pour the egg mixture over the cheese and place it onto the hot oven tray.

• Let it bake for 30 – 40 minutes until filling is firm around the edges and there is still a little wobble in the centre but a toothpick put in the middle, comes out clean.

• Set it aside to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the tin.

• Drizzle hot honey over the top before serving

• Serve hot or at room temperature and add more hot honey.

• Find the recipe for hot honey here!

Drizzle with hot honey

 Tip Box

•  Cheese - Blackstick Blue is the cheese I used in this tart. But if you can’t get your hands on it, use another tangy blue cheese. But I recommend trying to find Blackstick Blue if you can.

• Butter – I use salted butter when I bake, but if you don’t, add a good pinch of salt to the pastry.

• Cold Water – How much cold water will vary, so add 250ml at first. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

• Milk – I used semi skimmed milk, but use whatever you have.

• Using blunt knife to bring the dough together – Over handling the dough will make it tough to eat. Use your hands as little as possible. Using blunt knives helps with this.

• Don’t Overhandle the Dough – As I’ve said, over handling the dough is a sure fire way to make the dough tough. So do not knead it and use hands as little as possible.

Pressing the dough in the tin – It’s easy for fingers to go through the pastry, so I like to use a lump of pastry, dipped in a little bit of flour, to push the pastry against the tin.

• Blind Baking – Blind baking gets the pastry cooked before the filling is put in. This helps keeps the bottom of the tart from being soggy.

• Baking time – All ovens are different so adjust the baking time accordingly.

• Freezing – Make sure the pastry is wrapped really well before freezing, and when ready to use, defrost completely before using it.

• Cold water and broccoli - Letting the broccoli become cold very quickly stops the cooking and helps keep the broccoli green.

East hot or room temperature