Stilton, Walnut and Bacon Tart from Ginger Pig One Pot

Serves 4

1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry, ideally all-butter

1 egg, beaten

2 sticks of celery, cut into thirds lengthwise, then finely chopped

1 shallot, halved and finely sliced

a splash of extra virgin olive oil

4 rashers of unsmoked streaky bacon, cut into thin strips

85g (3oz) Stilton cheese, crumbled

25g (1oz) walnut pieces, crumbled or chopped

125ml (4fl oz) double cream

A handful of spinach, stalks discarded, leaves roughly chopped

A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Unroll the pastry and place it on its paper on a baking sheet. Brush the pastry all over with egg, then use the tip of a sharp knife to mark a line 2cm (¾ inch) in from the edge, all the way round, taking care not to cut all the way through. Fold the edges of the pastry in to meet that line, creating a rim for the tart.

Brush the rim with egg and then press along the edges with the tines of a fork to ensure the folded pastry doesn’t open up during cooking. Gently tap the pastry in the centre of the tart all over with the tines of the fork to help prevent it rising too much in the oven.

Cut a square of foil big enough to enclose the celery and shallot. Place the celery and shallot onto the foil, add a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil and then wrap to form a loose but airtight pouch. Place the pastry and the foil pouch into the oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, gently stir together the bacon and the remaining beaten egg with the blue cheese, walnuts, double cream, spinach, nutmeg and a twist of black pepper.

When the 15 minutes are up, remove the tray and the foil pouch from the oven. If the centre of the pastry has puffed up, rest a small baking sheet on top for a minute or so to flatten.

Add the celery and shallots to the mixture in the bowl. Mix once and then arrange this filling over the tart shell, spreading it out gently using a spatula, avoiding the pastry rim. Return to the oven for 15–20 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden brown. Check that the base is crisp and give the tart another 3–5 minutes if not. Eat hot or warm.