What is your favourite meal that your remember from your childhood? David Bitton, from Bitton Gourmet fondly remembers the cheese tart his mum used to make, and has kindly shared the recipe with us: “This tart was our childhood version of macaroni cheese! Mum made this tart regularly, serving it straight from the oven, accompanied by a green salad. The shortcrust pastry was always freshly made and melted in the mouth. The cheese filling is light and fluffy. A simple meal that sums up the essence of classic French cookery.”
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 1 sheet of good quality shortcrust pastry (such as Carême) rolled out to fit a 22cm/23cm flan tin
• 100 g washed rind cheese, cut into thin slices
• 100 g goat’s cheese, cut into thin slices
• 50 g blue cheese, cut into slices
• 80 g cheddar cheese or gruyère cheese, grated
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 200 ml crème fraiche
• 150 ml pouring cream
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• Sea salt and white pepper, to season
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
2. Place the pastry into the greased flan tin, press gently into the corners and trim.
3. Cover the base of the tart with the cheese slices, layering it evenly.
4. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, crème fraiche and pouring cream together. Add nutmeg and season with salt and white pepper. Pour this over the cheese-covered pastry base.
5. Sprinkle the grated cheddar or gruyère over the top and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Serve warm with a green salad and a glass of chilled white wine.
Tip: “The ingredients must be of the best quality. A good quality bought pastry can be used if you don’t have time to make your own,” says David.
David Bitton is the Owner and Managing Director of Bitton Café & Bistro, product range and the recently launched Bitton Consulting. A French born and trained chef, his career has spanned over 25 years in fine dining establishments around the world. David, together with his wife Sohani, founded Bitton 11 years ago. Since then the business has grown exponentially, to now employing over 30 staff and serving more than 2000 customers a week. The product range and David’s first cookbook draw on influences from his own training, his Moroccan and Turkish heritage and Sohani’s South African Indian background.
