Tony’s Leek & Almond Tart

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400F°/Gas Mark 6 (15° less if using a fan-assisted oven).
2. Prep the leeks then place in a colander and soak in a basin of cold water. Let the dirt loosen a bit then rinse them under cold runnng water. Shake, drain and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Sweat the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften. Stir occasionally. Add the leeks and cook gently until they’re soft enough to eat – about 5-10 minutes. Add a splash of water if they stick and stir occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, grease the baking dish. If making the home-made version, click here for recipe and method and then skip to stage 6.
5. If using bought pastry, gently place the sheet of pastry in it and trim the edges (allow for some shrinkage).
6. Pierce the pastry base with a fork in a few places, cover the entire thing with baking paper and weigh it down with the baking beans.
7. Cook for 10 minutes. This is called ‘baking blind’ and the idea is to seal the pastry first before adding the filling – it helps to stop the pastry base being soggy. Remove from the oven and remove the beans and paper (the beans can be reused).
8. Reduce the oven to 190°/375°F/Gas Mark 5 (15° less if using a fan-assisted oven).
9. Add the yeast flakes, ground almonds, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the leek and onion mixture. Stir in the vegan cream and mix everything well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
10. Spoon the filling into the blind baked pastry case and distribute evenly. Scatter the flaked almonds over the top and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Check the almonds don’t burn.
11. Serve hot, warm or cold. See above for serving suggestions.