Blackberry, goat's cheese and fennel tart: RECIPE

Blackberry, goat's cheese and fennel tart by Lawrence Murphy | Other 3rd Party

With a few days of warm sunshine over the past week the hedgerows have blossomed with rose hips, elderberries and even more luscious blackberries.

A perfect time for foraging.

The tartness of the blackberries is fantastic with cheese.

Ingredients

Tart case

110g plain flour

10g cornflour

50g butter

Pinch salt

1 egg

Filling

1 small bulb fennel, sliced

80g blackberries and 20g for garnishing

1 small leek, diced

Knob of butter

100g soft goat’s cheese

180ml double cream

2 eggs

Salt and pepper

Method

1. Make the pastry by rubbing the flour, cornflour and butter together to resemble bread crumbs.

2. Combine the salt and egg to form a dough. Rest in the fridge for 20 mins.

3. Roll out and line a 22cm x 2cm tart ring. Cook blind in a preheated oven 180C, gas 5, so it is golden brown. Allow to cool and turn the oven down to 150C gas 3.

4. Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the leeks for 2 mins, then spread across the bottom of the tart case.

5. Blanch the fennel in boiling water for 2 mins then run under cold water for 4 mins.

6. Crumble the goat’s cheese over the leeks in the tart case, add the fennel and 80g of blackberries.

7. Whisk the cream and eggs together and season. Pour into the pastry case and bake in the oven for 25 to 35 mins until golden brown and firm to the touch.

8. Cut into wedges, sprinkle over the remaining blackberries and top with the fennel fronds.