Cheese and Potato Tart with Caraway Crust

We've been at the beach house all day. It's the first time we've been able to enjoy all the hard work we put into the remodeling. I while back I was whining about paint fumes and spending eternity up a ladder and on the end of a paint roller. But that's all in the past. Today, instead of donning overalls and winding up with paint in my hair, I read my book on the sofa, in the big, sun-filled second story room... In front of the window with the view of the ocean... Drinking cups of hot tea and eating cookies. All the discomfort, plaster dust and builders rubble a distant memory. And all I've got to show for my day at the beach is a half-read book, cookie crumbs on the sofa and this little tart... Life's a beach.



Cheese and Potato Tart with Caraway Crust
slightly adapted from Delicious

For the Pastry:
50g unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted
100g plain flour
1egg yolk

For the Filling:
450g potatoes, peels and cut into 3cm dice (I used Dutch Creams)
125g Gruyere cheese, grated
200g creme fraiche
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
Flat-leaf parsley, to serve


Place the potatoes in a pan of cold, salted water. Bring to boil, then par-boil for 5  minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

Grease a 20cm fluted loose-bottomed tart tin.

Make the Pastry:
Put the butter, caraway seeds and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy. Beat in the flour, then the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of iced water until combined. Shape into a disc, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate is for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Roll out the pastry until it will fit into the tart in, covering the base and sides. Trim he excess pastry and prick the bottom with a fork. Refrigerate is for 30 minutes.

Make the Filling:
Place the potato, cheese, creme fraiche and chives in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper and stir.

Line the pastry shell with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or dried beans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and paper, and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden.

Spread the filling into the pastry case, then bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and bubbling  Cool the tart for 5 minutes in the pan, the transfer to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle over the parsley and serve the tart  warm or at room temperature.