RECIPE: Parmesan pastry leek tartlets

Serves: 6

Tartlet cases:

85g soft butter

180g (1½ cups) flour

40g finely grated Parmesan cheese

45ml (3 tbsp) water

Filling:

30g (2 tbsp) butter

500g leeks, washed and cut into discs

250ml (1 cup) cream

Salt and pepper

To serve:

Fresh chives, parsley or paprika

Method:

1) To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and Parmesan cheese until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix to a soft dough. Chill, covered, for 30 minutes.

2) Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Roll out the pastry to about 4mm thick and line 6 individual quiche pans. Prick with a fork, cover and chill for 15 minutes.

3) Bake the tartlet cases for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.

4) For the filling, melt the butter in a large frying pan over the highest heat and sauté the leeks. As soon as the leeks start to cook, pour in the cream and stir. Season. Simmer for 2 minutes, then, using a slotted spoon, remove the leeks from the frying pan and place in a bowl. Keep stirring the cream as it bubbles and reduce to a third of its volume. Return the leeks and their juices to the pan, stirring until thoroughly heated through

5) Just before serving place the tartlet cases into a warm oven. Place each tartlet case on a plate and spoon the leek mixture into the middle. It doesn't matter if the cream spills out of the tartlets. Sprinkle with fresh chives, parsley or paprika to decorate. Serve immediately.

• This recipe is adapted from ‘Highclere Castle Recipes’ by the Countess of Carnarvon. Highclere Castle is the setting for the smash hit TV series ‘Downton Abbey’.