Époisses, Ham and Apple Tart

How to make it

This cheese tart is a variation from chef Ludo Lefebvre’s original creation, we like the balance of salty ham and sweet apple with the pungent and rich Époisses de Bourgogne AOC. We scatter cheddar and a little sugar over the top for extra decadence.

• You can cheat and use short-crust pastry, but if you want the challenge then use the following instructions to make the pastry
• Blend (either with your hands or in a food processor) the flour with the cubed butter.
• Add a pinch of salt.
• Add the egg yolk and enough water until it starts to hold
• Turn out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and work into a dough
• Wrap in clingfilm and put in fridge for 45 mins
• Heat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan
• Grease a tart dish
• Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured work surface until it is wide enough to cover the dish
• Place over the dish and trim the edges by rolling the rolling pin over the edges until it all looks neat
• Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with ceramic baking beans
• bake the tart shell for 30 mins until dry
• Remove the parchment and weights and let cool
• To make the filling, combine the eggs with the cream, salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Add the chunks of the Époisses, apple and ham and gently mix
• Pour the mixture into the tart shell
• Bake for around 45 mins
• Scatter the cheddar over the top
• Scatter a little caster sugar over the top
• Transfer the tart to a medium grill and let it brown for 10 minutes
• Remove the cheese tart and serve with rocket and balsamic dressing