Ingredients
- 375g (13oz) all-butter shortcrust pastry
- 1tbsp oil
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 3 large free-range egg yolks, beaten
- 200ml (7fl oz) double cream
- 150g (5oz) cooked ham, cut into small chunks
- 175g (6oz) cheese
- green salad, to serve
- you will need
- 23cm (9in) loose-based fluted flan tin, lightly oiled
Method
Roll out the pastry and line the tin, leaving an overhang, then chill for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a sauté pan and gently soften the onion for about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Heat the oven to 200 C, 180 C fan, 400 F, gas 6. Line the pastry case with foil and fill with baking beans, then blind bake for 20 minutes until the pastry begins to look golden around the edges. Remove the foil and baking beans then bake for 10 minutes until the case is golden all over. If there are any cracks in your pastry, simply brush with beaten egg and bake for a further 5 minutes to seal. Remove the overhanging pastry with a serrated knife. Turn the oven down to 150 C, 130 C fan, 300 F, gas 2.
In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks with the cream then season. Scatter the onion, ham and small chunks of cheese over the base of the pastry case, fill with the cream mixture and top with grated cheese.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes until the filling has set. Serve warm or at room temperature with a green salad. It’s best eaten on the day it’s made.
