1 hr 30 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 12
About the recipe
Bigging up a classic British cheese, nutty Jersey Royals and wild mushrooms, this is my homage to King Charles’ official coronation dish. It’s perfectly portable, so it’s fantastic for picnics, street parties or family get-togethers. Enjoy!
Ingredients
250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
135g unsalted butter (cold)
225g Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese
½ a bunch of mixed soft herbs, such as chives, tarragon, chervil, wild garlic (15g)
400g mixed wild mushrooms (St George’s variety if you can find them)
2 shallots
300g Jersey Royals
6 large free-range eggs
200ml single cream
Method
- Put the flour into a food processor, cube and add 125g of the cold butter, finely grate in 25g of the Lancashire cheese, finely chop and add a few sprigs of the fresh herbs, then pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 4 tablespoons of cold water and pulse again until you get a rough dough. Bring the dough into a ball with your hands, then wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a flour-dusted surface, turning it every so often, until it’s just under ½cm-thick, then use it to line a 23cm non-stick loose-bottomed tart tin. Push the pastry into the base, letting the excess overhang. Prick the base all over with a fork and place on a baking tray.
- Scrunch up a large piece of greaseproof paper, then unwrap it and use it to line your pastry case, pushing it right into the sides. Fill the case with baking beans or rice, and blind bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the baking beads or rice (save for another bake) and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp.
- Clean, roughly chop and place the mushrooms in a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Dry fry for 5 minutes, or until beautifully golden, while you peel and finely chop the shallots. Once the time’s up, stir in the shallots and the remaining butter and fry for a further 10 minutes, or until soft and sweet.
- Meanwhile, scrub the Jersey Royals and cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 20 minutes, or until tender, then drain and steam dry.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, finely chop and add most of the herbs, and finely grate and add the remaining cheese. Season with salt and pepper, then mix well.
- Smash or slice the Jersey Royals and arrange in the prepared tart tin with the mushrooms. Pour over the egg mixture and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and just set. Delicious served warm or cold topped with the remaining herb sprigs, with a simple baby leaf salad or some steamed asparagus.
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