We came up with this recipe as a way of using the remains of the Christmas Stilton – rind and all but it is such a good wholesome tart that it is worth buying the stilton in especially.

The Tart

Ingredients
4oz flour
3oz butter
1 egg yolk
3oz grated cheese (stilton or other)
Salt and pepper
Cayenne
2 leeks – sliced
1 oz butter
1tbsp Demerara sugar
4oz Stilton – crumbled
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
10floz double cream
Salt and pepper
1oz caster sugar

Method
-Grate butter into the flour to make “breadcrumbs” and then mix in the egg yolk, grated cheese, salt, pepper and cayenne. Press together in a firm dough and knead for one minute
-Roll out and fit the pastry into an 8” greased tart tin
-Chill for ½ hr in the fridge then bake blind for 10mins, remove the “blind” and bake for a further 10mins
-Fry off the leeks in butter and sugar
-Fill the pastry case with the leeks and crumbled stilton
-Beat together the eggs, egg yolk and cream, season and then pour into tart
-Bake at 180°C for 25-35mins until set
-Sprinkle the top of the tart with caster sugar and place under a hot grill until golden brown
-Serve warm

The Endive and Quince

Ingredients
3 endive heads (chicory)
1 quince
6floz vegetable stock
1oz butter
Salt and pepper
1oz Demerara sugar

Method
-Cut the endives in half
-Cut the quince into wedges removing the core
-Lay the endives and the quince in a buttered dish, season with salt and pepper, add knobs of butter and then the Demerara sugar
-Pour over the vegetable stock
-Bake for 20-30mins until the quince and endives are tender and caramelised