Description
This Pear, Walnut & Blue Cheese Tart is a deliciously savory yet subtly sweet dish combining a crisp walnut-infused pastry with a rich filling of caramelized shallots, sage, chard, roasted pears, gorgonzola dolce, and crème fraîche. Baked to golden perfection, it offers an elegant balance of flavors and textures perfect for lunch, brunch, or a light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 50g walnut halves
- 150g plain flour
- 80g cold unsalted butter, chopped
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp cold water (optional, if dough seems dry)
Filling and Topping
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus an extra 1-2 tsp for pears
- 4 shallots, sliced into half-moons
- Small bunch of sage, finely chopped
- 200g chard, stalks finely chopped and leaves roughly chopped
- 2 pears, halved, cored and sliced
- 3 large eggs
- Grating of nutmeg
- 150g crème fraîche
- 150g gorgonzola dolce or vegetarian alternative, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 50g walnut halves (for topping)
Instructions
- Make the pastry: Blitz 50g walnut halves in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add 150g plain flour and a large pinch of salt, pulsing briefly to combine. Add 80g cold chopped unsalted butter and pulse until mixture looks like large crumbs. Add 1 egg yolk and pulse until dough comes together, adding 1 tbsp cold water if needed. Form into a disc, wrap in baking parchment, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare the filling base: Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Cook 4 sliced shallots, chopped sage, and finely chopped chard stalks for 5-8 minutes until softened and caramelized. Add roughly chopped chard leaves and cook until wilted, then remove from heat.
- Roll and blind bake the pastry: Roll out the chilled pastry between two sheets of baking parchment to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Line a 20cm tart tin with the pastry and chill again for 30 minutes. Toss sliced pears in 1-2 tsp olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Line the pastry case with scrunched baking parchment, fill with baking beans, and bake at 180°C (160°C fan/gas mark 5) for 15 minutes alongside the pears. Remove parchment and beans, then bake the pastry case for another 8-10 minutes until the bottom is golden and crisp.
- Prepare the custard and assemble tart: Lightly beat 3 eggs in a bowl, season with grated nutmeg, and whisk in 150g crème fraîche. Stir in 150g torn gorgonzola dolce. Pour half this mixture into the baked pastry case.
- Add filling and bake: Layer two-thirds of the cooked chard mixture onto the custard, arrange the roasted pear slices and the remaining chard mixture on top, then pour over the remaining custard. Dot 50g walnut halves on the top. Bake the tart for 28-30 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Cool and serve: Allow the tart to cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving, allowing the flavors to settle and filling to set.
Notes
- Chilling the pastry ensures a crisp texture after baking.
- Using baking beans for blind baking prevents the pastry from puffing up.
- You can substitute gorgonzola dolce with any milder blue cheese or vegetarian cheese alternative.
- Be sure to slice pears evenly for uniform roasting and presentation.
- The tart can be served warm or at room temperature for convenience.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Tart
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: European
Keywords: pear tart, walnut tart, blue cheese tart, savory tart, autumn tart, vegetarian tart, gorgonzola tart, chard tart
