Breakfast tart (Food & Home South Africa)

Method

1. 01

   Make the pastry: pulse the flour, salt and cold butter in a food processor to coarse crumbs. Add the yolk and one tablespoon of ice water; pulse. Add more water only until the dough clumps. Bring together into a disc, wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

2. 02

   Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 4mm-thick round and line a 26cm loose-bottomed tart tin, leaving a 2cm overhang. Press gently into the corners without stretching. Chill for 30 minutes, then trim.

3. 03

   Heat the oven to 190°C. Line with baking paper, fill to the rim with baking beans and blind bake for 20 minutes. Lift out the beans and paper and bake for a further 10 minutes until the base is dry and pale gold. Brush the whole inside with beaten egg white while still hot — this is the seal that keeps it crisp.

4. 04

   While the case bakes, fry the bacon in a dry pan until crisp. Lift out and drain. Soften the onion in the bacon fat with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes, add the garlic for the last minute, then wilt the spinach through in handfuls. Tip into a colander and squeeze out excess liquid — this is non-negotiable, wet filling = soggy tart.

5. 05

   Turn the oven down to 170°C. Whisk the eggs, cream, milk, both cheeses, thyme, nutmeg and plenty of pepper (bacon is salty, taste before adding more salt).

6. 06

   Scatter the bacon, onion and spinach evenly into the pastry case. Pour over the custard until it reaches just below the rim. Nestle the vine of cherry tomatoes on top and scatter with extra thyme.

7. 07

   Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the custard is set with the barest wobble in the centre and the top is deeply golden. Rest for 15 minutes before unmoulding — this is when it firms up into perfect slices.

8. 08

   Serve warm or room temperature with a peppery rocket salad and a very cold Bellini.