Gruyère & Pumpkin Tart Recipe - From Alex Jackson

This is a tart with a luxurious feel to it. Gruyère, with all its sweet meaty notes, works very well with the pumpkin, which adds a little ballast and enhances the colour to boot. Bake the tart until there is only a slight wobble to it, then allow to cool.

For the pastry

250g plain flour

1 tsp fine salt

1 egg yolk

115g diced room temperature butter

40ml water

1 small egg, beaten, for egg washing the pastry

For the filling

Approximately 500g, pumpkin or squash (crown prince is my favourite) – to yield

300g cooked, peeled pumpkin

275ml double cream

275ml whole milk

250g gruyère, grated

3 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

10g salt (approx, but do taste)

Black pepper & nutmeg, to taste

Preheat the oven to 170C.

To make the pastry, mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Mix in the egg yolk, followed by the softened butter. Bring together into a rough dough, then add the water. Work briefly to form a smooth dough without overworking. Flatten gently into a circular shape, wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for at least an hour.

Half the pumpkin, scoop and scrape out the seeds and other gunk, and cut into thick wedges. Season lightly with salt, cover tightly with foil, and roast in the preheated oven for half an hour or so, until the pumpkin is soft but has no colour. Remove the skin and allow to cool to room temperature.

Roll out the pastry to a depth of 2mm. Drape the pastry over a 28cm fluted tart shell with a removable base. Gentle the pastry into the edges of the tart shell, then trim the excess, leaving a 1cm overhang on all sides. Cover the pastry with baking parchment, then line with baking beans, dried chickpeas or whatever you have that fits the purpose.

Bake the tart for 15 minutes at 170C, then remove the beans and parchment paper and return for another 5 minutes. The pastry should ideally be crisp and an even golden brown colour. When the tart comes out of the oven and is still hot, brush with egg wash, then return to the oven for half a minute. Repeat this egg washing step, then allow the tart to cool. Decrease the heat of the oven to 130C.

Meanwhile, make the tart filling. In a blender, combine all the ingredients (use 300g of the cooked, peeled pumpkin) and blitz to a smooth pourable custard. Add a splash more milk and cream if the mixture seems too thick. Taste for seasoning – it should be fully seasoned and the nutmeg quite noticeable. Pour the custard into the pre-baked tart shell, almost to the top. To avoid spillages, you might want to do this while the tart is already in a tray on the top shelf of the oven. Bake the tart at 130C for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, until the tart has only a slight wobble. Allow to cool before slicing and eating, with a green salad.