Mascarpone, thyme and smoked bacon tart

Mascarpone, thyme and smoked bacon tart.

Prep Time ~40 mins	Cooking Time ~ 35 mins
Approx Cost ~ £5.00	Difficulty ~ Easy
Freeze ~ No	Serves ~ 6-8

Tip ~ It is important to bake the pastry case blind before adding the 'wet' filling, this ensures the base of the finished tart is crisp.

Ingredients

1 x 23cm / 9inch shortcrust pastry tart case, made with 170g / 6oz flour to

75g / 3oz butter.

7 or 8 smoked streaky rashers, the rind removed

225g tub mascarpone

200g / 7floz crème fraiche

2 eggs and 2 egg yolks

Salt and black pepper

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves stripped from the stems

1 - 2 tbsp bacon fat

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200C, Gas mark 6.
• Make the shortcrust pastry and line the tin, bake it blind for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lay the bacon rashers on the bottom of a hot frying pan and cook them until browned and crisp. Add the thyme leave towards the end and fry for 1 minute.
• Drain the rashers on kitchen paper and crumble 3 of them into chunky pieces, place on the base of the pastry case.
• Whisk the mascarpone and crème fraiche together with the eggs, egg yolks and seasoning.
• Pour this mixture over the tart case and turn the oven down 170C, Gas mark 3. Cook for 15 minutes before gently placing the remaining bacon rashers over the surface. Continue to bake the tart until puffed up, brown and still slightly wobbly.
• Allow the tart to stand for 15 minutes before serving.