Proper Northern Savory Spinach and Red Onion Tart

This is food that inspires me. Big and cold, full of character and flavour. You’re making your own pastry and you’ll be glad you did. It’s gorgeous and full of texture and nothing like shop bought stuff. The middle is really lovely with proper flavour and texture. This keeps in your fridge for a few days to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. It carries well and doesn’t fall apart. It’s great hot and cold.

I recently made this for a funeral gathering of 80 non-vegan people. They were bowled over! A farmer’s wife said: ‘that vegan quiche was gorgeous.’

By making this dish, you will acquire and practice the following skills:

• Boil and prepare waxy potatoes for structural bite in fillings.
• Make wholemeal pastry with flax “egg” and fat cut to breadcrumb texture.
• Rest pastry to prevent shrinkage, then blind bake with foil and beans.
• Cook onions slowly to petal softness, then wilt spinach at high heat to shed water.
• Drain filling vegetables thoroughly to avoid soggy tart base.
• Create a silky tofu “custard” flavoured with nutritional yeast, Dijon, kala namak, and lemon.
• Combine filling elements gently to preserve spinach integrity.
• Bake until set, testing centre to ensure raw cornflour taste is gone.
• Use pastry grating and “wall building” technique for even, neat tart cases.

Watch each video in turn, have a go at the dish, and use the quiz as a friendly nudge to make the skill your own.

#northernsavorytart

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