Wonderfully peppery rocket with meltingly sweet leeks topped with a glistening egg makes a wonderful meal whatever the occasion.
Rocket, leek and egg tartlets
Ingredients
1 medium-sized leek, sliced thinly and washed and drained well
2 Tbsp oil
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
6 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 cups fresh rocket
1½ Tbsp flat-leaf parsley
1½ Tbsp coriander leaves, roughly chopped
250g puff pastry
30g sour cream
4 medium free-range eggs
Salt and cracked pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 210degC/190degC fan.
Heat a medium frypan and add 2 Tbsp oil, add sliced leeks and cook gently for 2-3 minutes. Add the spices and cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat and add the rocket, parsley and coriander, mix to combine.
Don't worry that the rocket starts to wilt as this is the desired effect. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to about 3mm thick and cut out four 15cmx15cm squares. Prick all over with a fork and place the squares, spaced well apart, on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and brush the top and sides with beaten egg. Using the back of a spoon or something similar, spread half a tablespoon of sour cream over the pastry squares, leaving a little space around the edge. Add about 3 tablespoons of leek and rocket mixture over the sour cream ensuring that you don't go over the space around the edge so it's clear to rise.
Using the back of a spoon mould a small shallow hole in the topping to break an egg into later on, to prevent it running away!Bake the tarts for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and crack an egg into each tart. Return to the oven and cook for another 7 minutes, until the eggs are just set. Sprinkle with a little salt and cracked pepper, and a light drizzling of extra virgin olive oil.
• Alison Lambert, chef at the Otago Farmers Market, will be demonstrating this recipe at the market on Saturday morning.
