This recipe uses tinned artichoke hearts which, when cut in half, miraculously just fit into a 23cm tart tin! I wanted to create layers of contrasting flavour rather than mixing all the ingredients together. So - a layer of spinach, a layer of blue cheese, a layer of caramelised artichoke hearts. I used Roquefort cheese here but you could substitute a blue cheese of your choice.
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
1 tin of artichokes hearts
250g fresh spinach cooked and squeezed as dry as possible and allowed to cool.
100g blue cheese
25g butter
1 tsp sugar
200ml milk
3 eggs
Fresh thyme to scatter
Method
Ingredients
Shortcrust pastry
1 tin of artichokes hearts
250g fresh spinach cooked and squeezed as dry as possible and allowed to cool.
100g blue cheese
25g butter
1 tsp sugar
200ml milk
3 eggs
Fresh thyme to scatter
Method
- Drain the artichokes. Rinse them to remove the acidic water. Cut each heart in half, lengthways and dry thoroughly using kitchen paper.
- Melt the butter in a non-stick pan and add the sugar allowing it to caramelise slightly. Add the artichoke hearts, cut side down and fry gently until they become browned. Remove and set aside.
- Heat the oven to 180 C. Line a greased 23 cm flan tin with the pastry and bake blind. (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-blind-bake-pastry). Turn the oven temperature down to 170 C.
- Whisk the eggs into the milk.
- Place the spinach in a layer the base of the pastry shell.
- Crumble the blue cheese in a layer over the spinach and pour the milk/egg mixture over the top. You may not need all the mixture.
- Arrange the artichokes, cut side up over the surface and sprinkle with thyme.
- Bake for 25 mins or until the custard is set. Eat warm or at room temperature.
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