Mature Farmhouse Cheddar & Chestnut Tart

  • Serves: 4-6
  • Level: medium
  • Time: 90 mins

    • A seasonal tart with chestnut, kale & mature cheddar. Buttery short-crust with a nutty malt twist, herb-kissed, peppered and baked to golden perfection. Follow along with James here.


    Prepared using:

    Mature Cheddar Mature Cheddar
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    Shopping list

    • For the pastry:
    • 200g salted butter, cold and diced
    • 400g malted flour or wholemeal flour
    • ½ tsp cracked black pepper
    • 1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
    • 60–80 ml cold water (just enough to bring the dough together)
    • For the filling:
    • Mature Cheddar, grated (100 g for filling + 20g for topping)
    • 12 cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
    • 4 large eggs
    • 400 ml whole milk
    • ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
    • ½ tsp cracked black pepper
    • ½ tsp sea salt
    • ½ shallot, finely chopped
    • 1 tbsp oil or butter for sautéing
    • 100 g kale, trimmed and roughly chopped
    • To serve:
    • Fresh watercress salad dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper

    1. Step 1

      In a large bowl, rub the cold diced butter into the flour until the texture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the cracked black pepper and chopped sage. Gradually add cold water until the dough just comes together. Form into a disc, wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

    2. Step 2

      Preheat the oven to 190 °C (170 °C fan) / 375 °F. Roll out the chilled pastry and line a 9-inch tart tin. Chill for another 10 minutes, then line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind-bake for 15 minutes, remove the beans and paper, and bake for a further 10 minutes until lightly golden.

    3. Step 3

      In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Add nutmeg, cracked black pepper, and sea salt. In a frying pan, heat the oil or butter and sauté the shallot for 2–3 minutes until soft. Add the kale and cook until just wilted. Combine the sautéed shallot and kale with 100 g grated cheddar and the chopped chestnuts.

    4. Step 4

      Spread the kale, shallot, cheddar, and chestnut mixture evenly in the pastry case. Pour over the egg and milk custard mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 20 g grated cheddar. Bake for 35 minutes until the filling is golden and just set in the centre.

    5. Step 5

      Allow to cool for 10–15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature with a fresh watercress salad.

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