Liz Turnbull’s Smoked Bacon, Spinach and Blue Cheese Tart

Thanks to good friend and ace cook Liz Turnbull for today's recipe. A tart - definitely not a quiche. The history of this dish is of some interest (well, to geeks like me). In Britain we have had savoury tarts for centuries. One can trace recipes going back to medieval times. Originally they were made with thick pastry and known as coffins. Within a couple of hundred years they had  become more refined, closer to what we have today.

What's in a name? It could be a flan, a pie or a tart. Who cares? But then in the 1960s and 70s it became a quiche, as the rather splendid Quiche Lorraine was introduced and became fashionable. We think of it as French, from Alsace. In fact the name has German roots, from the word kuchen, meaning cake. There was a sort of backlash sparked by the tongue in cheek book Real Men Don't Eat Quiche, published in 1982. It was subtitled A Guidebook to All That is Truly Masculine.  Screenwriter and humorist (he is American) Bruce Feirstein used it to satirise stereotypes of masculinity.

I don't have a photo of Ms T's masterpiece. All I could find was the approximation above. What I can say is that it is absolutely wonderful. This real man invariably queues for second helpings. Thanks, Liz.

Introduction

Had I reproduced the original recipe which Liz discovered, you would have lynched me. It called for a pack of bacon and a pack of cheese, whatever those mean. The quantity of cheese can vary according to your taste and how strong it is. While the recipe has a couple of suggestions, use whatever you fancy. Most such recipes call for double cream. Liz uses crème fraiche light. But perhaps the most important thing is the treatment of the spinach. The original writer simply advised patting it dry. Good luck doing that. A very soggy tart would result. Allow it to cool and squeeze, squeeze and squeeze again to get rid of as much water as you can. Even to cook it you need very little liquid and very little time. Do add a pinch of salt.

Smoked Bacon, Spinach and Blue Cheese Tart

Ingredients

For the base

220g plain flour; 110g butter; about 40ml very cold water; pinch of salt.

For the filling

250g good quality smoked streaky bacon finely chopped; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed; about 200g spinach leaves; about 250g blue cheese of your choice, such as St Agur, Roquefort or Stilton, cut into chunks; 4 eggs, beaten; 150ml double cream or crème fraiche or crème fraiche light; s & p.

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First make the pastry base. Combine the flour, butter and salt in a mixing bowl and rub until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water a little at a time and mix with a knife (or your hands) until the dough comes together. (You can of course do it in seconds in a mixer.) Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180° C/Mark 4.

Once chilled, roll out the pastry to fit a 23cm flan dish. Prick all over the base of the pastry with a fork, line with greaseproof paper, weigh down with baking beans or dried pulses. Top Tip Don't trim the edges at this stage as your pastry may shrink.

Cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove the baking parchment and beans and and put tart case back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, gently fry the bacon, onions and garlic until cooked. Drain on kitchen paper to remove excess fat. Cook the spinach gently with just a little water and some salt, just enough to wilt the leaves. Remove from the pan and put in a colander. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze vigorously to remove as much moisture as you can. Do this at least a couple of times, then chop it up so you can spread it evenly

Once pastry case is cooked, trim the edges of the pastry. Scatter the bacon and onion mixture all over the base. Add the wilted spinach leaves. Cover with the cheese chunks. Mix the beaten eggs and cream/crème fraiche together. Season with pepper. No need for salt as the cheese and bacon are salty. Pour the egg mixture over the contents of the tart case and place in the oven. with a baking tray underneath.

Cook for approximately 45 minutes, until the egg is cooked through and the surface is firm to the touch.