This Broccoli Cheddar Tart from Lisa Steele’s new “Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook” (Harper Horizon, $27.99) is equally at home at the brunch table, at cocktail time as a savory nosh or as a light spring or summer dinner.
Steele makes her own pâte brisée dough, but you can use your favorite pastry crust recipe or go store bought. And the pan? A pie plate, a tart pan or a rectangular oven-safe pan all work, says Steele, but “I use a 4½ x 14-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, because that makes the tart easy to cut into thin slices to serve as an appetizer or ‘nibble.'”
Broccoli Cheddar Tart
Serves 12 to 14
PATE BRISEE CRUST:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
¼ cup ice water
BROCCOLI CHEDDAR FILLING:
5 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
4 uncooked breakfast sausage links, crumbled, with skins removed
½ cup broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
For the crust: Add the flour and salt to a food processor. Add a few butter cubes at a time and pulse about 10 seconds, until the mixture forms coarse clumps. While the motor is running, slowly pour in the ice water and process until the dough starts to form a ball, about 30 seconds. You may not need all the water. Flatten the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes and heat the oven to 400 degrees.
The crust needs to be blind-baked before the filling is added so it’s flaky and crisp, not soggy. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface and press it into a tart pan. Chill for another 30 minutes. Once chilled, prick the bottom of the dough with a fork, cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and add pie weights or dried beans on top. Bake until the crust is set, about 16 to 18 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment and continue to bake another 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned and nearly done. Then remove the crust from the oven and let it cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
For the filling: While the crust is baking and cooling in the tart pan, whisk the eggs and cream in a bowl, then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. In a different small bowl, toss the shredded cheese and flour.
Cook the crumbled sausage in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crispy. Remove the sausage from the pan and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the broccoli, onion, and garlic to the same pan and cook over medium-high heat until crispy and browned.
Arrange the sausage and vegetables on the crust and cover with the cheese mixture. Pour the egg mixture over the top, being careful not to disturb the vegetables and cheese. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until the middle is set, and the crust is golden brown. Cover the crust with aluminum foil, if necessary, to keep it from browning too quickly. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool slightly. Remove the sides of the pan and slice the tart into 1-inch wedges or slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.
— Recipe excerpted with permission from “The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook” by Lisa Steele, published by Harper Horizon 2022, $27.99 hardcover
