Taleggio, bacon & spring onion tart

• pack ready rolled all-butter shortcrust pastry↗230g g

  (Sara Lee, from Sainsbury’s, is exceptionally good)

• rashers unsmoked back bacon↗4

  (total weight about 140g/5oz), cut into lardons (small cubes)

• spring onions↗6

  chopped

• carton double cream↗284ml ml
• milk↗150ml ml
• large eggs↗2

  and 2 egg yolks

• taleggio cheese140g g

  cut into 1cm cubes

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Line a 4cm deep, 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin with the pastry, letting the excess hang over the top edge. Prick the base, fill with crumpled foil and bake blind for 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a non-stick pan over a fairly high heat for 5 minutes until browned and quite crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Cook the spring onions in the fat over a moderate heat for 1 minute until softened. Remove with slotted spoon and tip over the bacon.

3. 3

   Take the pastry case out of the oven and remove the foil. Reduce the heat to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4. Beat the cream, milk, eggs and egg yolks. Stir in the bacon, spring onions and a little salt, then pour into the case. Scatter with the cheese and black pepper, then bake for 30 minutes until pale golden and just firm to the touch.

4. 4

   Remove from the oven and trim excess pastry with a knife. Leave in the tin to cool a little, then slide on to a wire rack and leave until cold.

5. 5

   For a picnic, make the tart up to 6 hours ahead and return it to the clean tin once it’s cold. Wrap the whole thing in cling film or foil and keep in a cool place (not the fridge or it will get soggy).