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Dinner, LunchFrench

Leek Tart with Lardons

Silky, buttery leeks folded into a light binder with smoky lardons and nutty Gruyère, all baked in a golden, crisp shortcrust shell. Rich, savory, and comforting, this rustic French tart is simply irresistible!
Leek tart lardons recipe
Prep25 minutes
Cook35 minutes
Total1 hour
Servings6
DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

Prepare the base

  • Line a tart tin or tart rings with the shortcrust pastry. With rings, there's no need to blind bake. For a single deep tin, blind bake with baking beans at 180°C for about 15 minutes.

Cook the lardons

  • Cook the vegetarian lardons in a separate pan until the edges colour. Set aside to cool.

Cook the leeks

  • Slice the white and pale green of the leeks into thin half-moons and rinse well. Melt the butter in a wide pan, add the leeks and a pinch of salt, and cook gently for 15–20 minutes, until soft and silky, without colouring.

Make the binder

  • Stir the flour through the leeks and cook for a minute. Pour in the milk a little at a time, stirring, then add the nutmeg and pepper. Keep stirring over very low heat until thickened and creamy, a couple of minutes.

Add the egg and lardons

  • Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for a minute. Stir in the beaten egg quickly so it binds without scrambling, then fold in the cooled lardons. Taste and season lightly.

Fill and bake

  • Spread the mixture into the pastry and level it. Scatter the grated Gruyère over the top. Bake at 180°C for 30–35 minutes, until set and golden. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

  • Cook the leeks down fully first for sweetness and to keep the tart from being watery.
  • Cook the flour for a minute before adding the milk, as you would a béchamel.
  • Add the egg off the heat so it binds rather than scrambles.
  • Good warm, at room temperature, or cold the next day.
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