Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Tart

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 170C (150C fan) and grease a tart tin with plenty of butter – make sure you get right into the edges.

Step 2

Make your pastry (or use shop bought, I won’t judge… just skip straight to step 4). Into a large bowl, weigh out your flour and chilled butter. Rub them together, passing your thumbs across your fingers like a washboard. You want the whole bowl to be the consistency of breadcrumbs. Be careful using a processor or mixer, as they can over-mix easily.

Step 3

Add just enough water, a little at a time, to combine into a dough. If it’s not coming together, add a touch more water, but be careful – too much water is the fastest route to a bad, rubbery pastry. If you’ve got time, cling wrap your dough and chill for half an hour (or as long as possible).

Step 4

Roll out your pastry with some more flour until it is about ½cm thick, and lay it across your tin. Cut off most of the excess, leaving a little dangling over the edge if you can. Prick the base with a fork, place a sheet of baking paper on top and weigh down with a bit of loose change.

Step 5

Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and change and bake another 10 minutes. While it’s in the oven, chop your beetroot into discs and tear your goat’s cheese into chunks. Once it’s done, lay the beetroot on top then spread out the cheese evenly. Season with salt and pepper and bake for a final 20 minutes, turning the oven up to 180C, until the cheese is melted and golden.

Step 6

Serve your tart hot or cold with a large rocket salad on the side (or on top). Don’t forget to drizzle the whole thing liberally with balsamic glaze – one of the best cheats there is.

Enjoy!