Little Stilton and spinach tarts. (Starters)

Member Name: Ladymagic

Product:	Starters
Date:	16/12/08 (188 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No pastry to make , quick and easy and they look good.

Disadvantages: Must make sure th base is well crisp or you'll get a soggy bottom .

Individual Stilton & spinach tarts for 4 people .

This is an easy starter that will have people thinking your a whizz in the kitchen .

Ingredients.

1 Slice thick wholemeal bread for each person.
2-3 oz Butter.
4oz carton double cream.
4 oz good quality Stilton cheese.
4 oz milk.
1 large egg.
Either a bag of frozen finely chopped spinach OR a bag of fresh spinach which you have washed , finely chopped and cook lightly.
freshly ground sea salt & black pepper.
Assorted salad items of your choice for serving.

Cooking Utensils / items needed:
You can buy individual ramekin dishes or small metal quiche dishes(4) large jug. cooking Bowl,. fork. knife. Baking beads.
( if you dont have these you can put some greaseproof paper on top of the bread and add some old dry pasta or rice instead)
A small saucepan. wooden spoon. A fine sieve for straining the egg + cream mixture.

Method:

1: Put oven on gas 4-5 or 180.

2: Butter inside all 4 of the ramekin dishes well .

3: Butter all 4 slices of bread then press one into each dish , butter side upwards cutting off any excess bread around the top of the dish with a knife to save your hands getting covered in butter put a clean plastic sandwich bag on the hand you use to press the bread in with , then just bin the bag )

4: place the baking beans ( or pasta etc) onto the bread and then cook these in the oven for around 10 minutes , until bread is crisp, let it cool and then take out the beans leaving the bread base in the dish still.( sometime the bread takes a little longer depending on the thickness so just keep testing it until you think its ready )

5: While the base is cooling put all of the finely chopped spinach into a saucepan and dry fry it with some butter , salt & pepper and a teaspoon of cream. When the spinach is dry ( no liquid running out of it when the wooden spoon is pressed to the side of the saucepan ) divide it between the 4 crispy bread dishes ,with a spoon press lightly on top of the bread .........across the base and up the sides to the top of the dish until the bread its covered well with a light or thick ( depends on how much you like spinach ) layer of spinach.

6: In the jug place the cream, the egg ,salt & pepper and really beat well , put to one side.

7: Take the Stilton and divide this into 4 pieces, then crumble each portion into the bottom of the spinach lined dishes.

8: I like to strain my egg + cream mixture next right onto the top of the cheese, but thats up to you .
Carefully and slowly divide the egg + cream mixture between the 4 dishes to about 1/2 inch from the top of each dish.
Place all 4 dishes onto a baking sheet and place in the middle of your oven for around 15-20 minutes .You will know when they are done as the mixture will have risen be soft and springy yet will not have any liquid moving around in the dishes at all , they will also feel quite firm to the touch when pressed lightly .

These little flans can be eaten hot or cold and the bread base will look and taste like wholemeal pastry but much lighter .

Serve:
I like to place mine on a plain white plate sitting on a small bed of three /4 young lettuce leaves.
Add to this a few slivers of de-seeded baby tomatoes ( plum sort) made into windmill shapes around the plate and tiny wisps of spring onions , then drizzle some Raspberry vinaigrette around the plate and on to the lettuce leaves.

Hope you like this , you can change the cheese to one that you really love like : Gorgonzola, smoked , goats cheese etc.
And you can use this recipe to make 100's of small canapes for a party over the christmas season as they freeze well , but make sure you re-heat them to serve to stop there bottoms going soggy ..........no one wants a soggy bottom do they !!!!!!

Bon appetit.

Summary: An easy starter that looks good when decorated and serves well.