St David's Day Sweet Leek + Celery Sea Salt Tart - Halen Môn

St David’s Day Sweet Leek + Celery Sea Salt Tart

by | Mar 1, 2019

INGREDIENTS

Flapjack base

  • 150g golden syrup
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 200g Halen Môn sea salted butter
  • 350g rolled oats
  • 60g soft brown sugar 

Salted caramel layer

  • 60g soft brown sugar
  • 130ml double cream
  • 60g Halen Môn sea salted butter
  • Pure Sea Salt

Toppings

  • 150g dark chocolate
  • 50g sesame seeds
  • Pure Sea Salt
This special St David’s Day tart celebrates one of Wales’ distinctive emblems: the humble leek. Making it with slow cooked leeks and our Pure Sea Salt with Celery makes it wonderfully savoury. A lovely midweek dinner or a perfect spring lunch outside if the weather allows.

SERVES SIX
5 large leeks, washed and finely shredded
1/2 fennel bulb, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
zest of an unwaxed lemon
sheet of ready rolled puff pastry
30ml double cream
25g parmesan, grated
50g hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped
large knob of butter
1 egg, beaten
2 large pinches of Pure Sea Salt with Celery Seeds

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the leeks, fennel, garlic and thyme. Sprinkle over half the salt and stir with a wooden spoon to coat. Cover the pan for about 3 mins, so that the leeks start to sweat, then turn the heat right down and leave to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and lay out the pastry sheet. Score on all four sides, about 2 cm in from the edge, without cutting right through to the bottom of the pastry. Prick the pastry all over with a fork and place in the centre of the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until puffed and golden and remove from the oven to cool.

Once the leeks are completely soft, add the lemon zest, half the parmesan and cream to the pan and turn the heat up to medium and leave to bubble for a couple of minutes. Spoon the leek mixture onto the puffed pastry inside the edges to flatten and sprinkle over the remaining parmesan, salt and chopped hazelnuts.

Using a pastry brush, cover the pastry edges with the egg mixture and bake the tart in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the ends of the leeks are starting to turn crisp and golden.

RECIPE: Anna Shepherd
IMAGE: Jess Lea-Wilson

We usually have a tray of these crowd-pleasing bars on the counter at our outdoor cafe Tide. They are a winning combination of oats, chocolate, sesame and, of course, sea salt.

Makes 12 bars

Heat the oven to 170°C and line a 9”/ 23cm baking tray with baking parchment. 

Begin with the flapjack base.  Melt the butter, golden syrup and honey together in a small saucepan over a low heat. Once melted add the oats and sugar and stir together until fully combined. 

Pour the mixture into the baking tray and press down to an even layer.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the flapjack is an even golden brown colour. Allow to cool to room temperature. 

Make the salted caramel by melting the butter and sugar together in a small saucepan. When the butter and sugar are bubbling away add the double cream and combine well. Allow the mixture to bubble and thicken, stirring regularly for 2 minutes until the mixture is reduced by around a quarter. 

Pour the caramel over the cool flapjack and spread with a pallet knife to form an even layer. Place the flapjack in the fridge to allow the caramel to set. 

Place the sesame seeds in a small wide pan and toast on a medium heat on a stove top, shaking the pan regularly so the seeds toast evenly. Set the seeds aside in a small bowl once they are an even golden colour. 

Melt the chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl over hot water.  When liquid, pour it in an even layer over the caramel.

Sprinkle over the toasted seeds and a generous pinch of Pure Sea Salt and return to the fridge to set before cutting into 12 pieces. 

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