Outdoors, plants and animals know that spring is coming
Leek and goat’s
cheese f lamicheFlamiche is a leek pie from northern
France, ideal for this time of year
when leeks are almost the only veg
still standing. They’re cooked low
and slow to bring out their
sweetness, and the addition of
goat’s cheese makes it extra creamy.Serves 6
500g ready-made all butter
shortcrust pastry
60g salted butter
5 leeks
200g crème fraîche
3 egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg
125g goat’s cheeseYou will need:
A 28cm loose-bottomed flan dish
Baking parchment
Rice or dried beans1 Remove the pastry from the fridge
about 30 mins before you are going
to use it, then melt the butter in a
large saucepan over a medium heat.
2 Wash the leeks well before
trimming, halving and finely slicing,
then add them to the pan. Stir all
of the leeks into the butter until
they are coated, then turn down
the heat, cover, and leave to sweat,
stirring occasionally until the leeks
are softened and silky. Season
with salt and pepper.
3 Preheat your oven to 210C/Fan
190C/Gas 6. Split the pastry block in
half, wrapping one half in clingfilm for
later, then roll out the other half large
enough to line your flan dish and hang
slightly over the edges. Prick the base
all over with a fork, then place a piece
of parchment over it and fill with the
rice or dried beans. Bake for 15 mins.
4 Remove the beans and baking
parchment and bake for a further
5-10 mins, or until the base looks
cooked through (if the edges aregetting browned you may need to
protect them at this point by covering
them with tin foil). Remove from the
oven and allow to cool until you can
gently trim away any overlapping
edges using a serrated knife.
5 Roll out the second piece of pastry
until it is large enough to cover the
top of the flan tin.
6 Tip the leeks into the cooked base,
then beat together the crème fraîche
and egg yolks and pour them over
the leeks. Slice the goat’s cheese and
dot it throughout the filling. Beat the
remaining egg and use to moisten
the cooked edges of the pastry.
7 Lay the uncooked pastry over the
top and push it gently onto the edges.
Trim and paint with the rest of the
beaten egg, then use a knife to score
a cross hatch pattern across the top
and to make a small hole where steam
can escape. Bake for 40 mins, or until
golden. Remove from the oven and
leave to cool for at least 10 mins
before serving warm.Outdoors, plants and animals know that spring is coming
Leek and goat’s
cheese f lamicheFlamiche is a leek pie from northern
France, ideal for this time of year
when leeks are almost the only veg
still standing. They’re cooked low
and slow to bring out their
sweetness, and the addition of
goat’s cheese makes it extra creamy.Serves 6
500g ready-made all butter
shortcrust pastry
60g salted butter
5 leeks
200g crème fraîche
3 egg yolks, plus 1 whole egg
125g goat’s cheeseYou will need:
A 28cm loose-bottomed flan dish
Baking parchment
Rice or dried beans1 Remove the pastry from the fridge
about 30 mins before you are going
to use it, then melt the butter in a
large saucepan over a medium heat.
2 Wash the leeks well before
trimming, halving and finely slicing,
then add them to the pan. Stir all
of the leeks into the butter until
they are coated, then turn down
the heat, cover, and leave to sweat,
stirring occasionally until the leeks
are softened and silky. Season
with salt and pepper.
3 Preheat your oven to 210C/Fan
190C/Gas 6. Split the pastry block in
half, wrapping one half in clingfilm for
later, then roll out the other half large
enough to line your flan dish and hang
slightly over the edges. Prick the base
all over with a fork, then place a piece
of parchment over it and fill with the
rice or dried beans. Bake for 15 mins.
4 Remove the beans and baking
parchment and bake for a further
5-10 mins, or until the base looks
cooked through (if the edges aregetting browned you may need to
protect them at this point by covering
them with tin foil). Remove from the
oven and allow to cool until you can
gently trim away any overlapping
edges using a serrated knife.
5 Roll out the second piece of pastry
until it is large enough to cover the
top of the flan tin.
6 Tip the leeks into the cooked base,
then beat together the crème fraîche
and egg yolks and pour them over
the leeks. Slice the goat’s cheese and
dot it throughout the filling. Beat the
remaining egg and use to moisten
the cooked edges of the pastry.
7 Lay the uncooked pastry over the
top and push it gently onto the edges.
Trim and paint with the rest of the
beaten egg, then use a knife to score
a cross hatch pattern across the top
and to make a small hole where steam
can escape. Bake for 40 mins, or until
golden. Remove from the oven and
leave to cool for at least 10 mins
before serving warm.