Prep 20 min
Chill 50 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 4
For the rough puff pastry
225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Salt
225g very cold butter, plus extra for greasing
For the filling
200g dry cure smoked streaky bacon, chopped
300ml double cream
6 eggs
1 Rub the butter into the flour
Start with the pastry, which is best done by hand. Tip the flour on to a clean work surface and add a good pinch of salt. Cut the butter into roughly 1cm cubes, then gently squidge the two together with your fingertips: you’re aiming for a mixture of small pieces of butter coated with flour, rather than the usual fine crumbs.
2 Add water to make a dough
Measure out 100ml of ice-cold water, then sprinkle a little over the top of the flour mixture and stir in. Repeat until it all comes together into a smooth, but not sticky dough (you probably won’t need all the water, unless you live somewhere very dry). Shape the dough into a flat square, wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 20 minutes.
3 Prepare the tart tin and roll out the pastry
Meanwhile, grease a deep, loose-bottomed, 20-22cm tart tin. When you’re ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on a clean work surface and roll out the dough into a rectangle roughly three times its original length. Fold the top third back into the centre, then bring the bottom third up to meet it, so you have three layers, like a concertina.
4 Fold the pastry, and chill
Turn the dough 90 degrees, then roll again to three times its length and repeat the folding process, so you’re left with another three-layered square. Roll out again, then line the greased tin with the pastry, leaving a few centimetres overhanging to minimise any shrinkage while it rests. Chill the pastry again for at least 30 minutes.
5 Line the tart case and blind bake
Meanwhile, wrap any excess pastry in clingfilm, in case you need it for emergency repair work later, and heat the oven and a baking tray to 200C/390F/gas 6. Take the tart tin out of the fridge, prick the pastry all over with a fork and line it with foil, shiny-side down. Fill to the brim with baking beans or uncooked rice, and bake for 25 minutes.
6 Start on the filling
Meanwhile, cut the bacon into strips, fry these until they start to crisp up, then set aside. Remove the beans and foil from the pastry and patch up any holes, if necessary. Bake for another 10 minutes. Separate one of the eggs, brush the white all over the base of the pastry (the yolk will go into the filling), then put back in the oven for another five minutes.
7 Prepare the eggs
Carefully trim off any overhanging pastry and set the tart shell aside. Turn down the oven to 170C/335F/gas 3. Separate another egg and put the yolk and the reserved yolk into a large jug with the four whole eggs. Beat together, then pour in the cream and whisk with a pinch of salt, until just combined.
8 Fill the tart and bake
Scatter half the bacon over the base, then pull out the oven shelf with the tray on it, making sure it’s stable. Transfer the tart tin to the hot tray, quickly pour in the egg filling and top with the remaining bacon. Gently push the shelf back into the oven and bake for about 35 minutes, until the filling is just wobbly in the centre. Leave to cool before eating.
9 Variations on the theme
This recipe is easily tweaked: try replacing the bacon with 150g grated hard cheese and/or two large onions, finely sliced and gently fried until golden brown; or 200g baby spinach, blanched and thoroughly squeezed dry. (Vegetables often give off water during cooking, so the likes of sun-dried tomatoes in oil or roast peppers work better than the fresh versions.)
