Sorrel tart

Sorrel tart

Spring

Despite its sour nature, I have a sweet spot for sorrel.
It has stolen part of my heart and now I grow it in rows,
in my little vegetable garden. Sharp, lemony, appley sorrel. It’s wonderful with grilled or fried fish, such as brill or turbot, and beautiful with roast meats, particularly chicken. But sometimes it’s good to let sorrel have the stage to itself – after all, it’s full of character. Your local greengrocer or farm shop should be able to order sorrel in for you, but if you can’t track any down, you can make something similar using young spinach leaves and plenty of lemon zest.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • a large colander of sorrel (about 500g/1lb 2oz)
  • 40g (1½ oz) butter
  • 2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 200ml (7fl oz) double (heavy) cream
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the shortcrust pastry

  • 300g (10½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 150g (5½ oz) unsalted butter, chilled
  • a good pinch of sea salt

Method

First, make the pastry case. Pulse the flour, butter, and salt in a food processor until you have the consistency of breadcrumbs. With the motor running, steadily add 3–4 tablespoons of cold water, stopping as soon as the dough comes together. Remove the dough from the processor, knead it a couple of times, then wrap it and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Remove the pastry from the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a disc about 3mm (⅛ in) thick and use this to line a 20cm (8in) tart tin, leaving an overhang. Prick the base, then line it with baking paper and baking beans. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and return the tart case to the oven for 10–12 minutes, until just golden. Set aside (leave the oven on).

Strip the sorrel from its coarser stems. Give the leaves a rinse, then bundle them up and slice them into ribbons.

Set a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and, when it’s bubbling, add the shallots and garlic and a little salt and pepper. Soften the shallots for 3–4 minutes, stirring regularly, trying not to let them colour too much. Add the sorrel and stir until it’s wilted, soft, and silky (about 2–3 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and allow the sorrel mixture to cool for a few minutes.

In a jug or bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks with the cream and a generous sprinkling of salt and a few twists of pepper. Stir the eggs and cream into the warm sorrel mixture until it’s all really well combined.

Pour the filling into the tart case and give it a little poke and prod with a fork to even everything out. Bake the tart for 25–30 minutes, or until the sorrel custard has risen and feels set to the touch. Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes before serving.

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