The holidays are the perfect excuse to indulge which for me includes copious amounts of cheese and chocolate and spending as much time in my kitchen as possible. Vegetables still make their presence at my table but they tend to be somewhat more ‘adorned’ then usual if you know what I mean… I like to dress them up in buttery sauces or top them with melted cheese to ward off the cold, because why not?
I often turn to Yotam Ottolenghi, the king of vegetable-led cooking if you ask me, for new and royal ways to consume my greens and he never disappoints. Who else could have come up with this decadent broccoli and Gorgonzola pie? Plucked from his famous Plenty cookbook, this luscious pie will convert you to the blue cheese-broccoli combo in a heartbeat.
It’s so much more than just marrying broccoli and Gorgonzola though. There’s a base layer of leeks tenderly cooked down with cream, chives, and a healthy dose of grainy mustard which really holds the whole pie together. That mustardy bite especially is essential to break up all the richness from the cheese and flaky dough.
Top with a generous amount of quickly blanched broccoli and then nestle in the big chunks of Gorgonzola in as snug a fit as you can (there can never be too many anyway!).
The baked pie lets nothing show of the magic happening inside…
…and once you cut into it you get full view of the ravishing and succulent filling.
Serve it warm or at room temperature with a side salad for a light dinner or a late brunch – you’ll need a break from all that turkey/ham/duck, etc. A brilliant combo of flavors for when you’re ready to indulge, celebrate, and taste all the richness you’ve been depriving yourself of for months!
| Prep Time: | 45 min |
| Total Time: | 80 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
2. Line the pastry base with parchment paper, fill it with baking beans and bake blind for 15-20 minutes, until light brown. Remove the paper and beans, and return to the oven until the shell is golden - about five minutes. Leave to cool down.
3. While the tart shell is baking, prepare the filling. Cook the broccoli in a large pan of boiling water for two minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain in a colander, rinse well with cold water and leave to dry.
4. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat and gently fry the leeks for 10-15 minutes, until soft but not colored. Add the cream, water, chives, tarragon, mustard, salt and some black pepper. Stir well and remove from the heat.
5. To assemble, spread the leek mixture over the bottom of the cooked pastry base. Scatter the broccoli on top and gently press it down into the leek bed. Dot with the Gorgonzola. Brush the rim of the tart case with the beaten egg and place the pastry lid over the filling. Press down firmly around the edge to attach the lid to the case. Trim off any of the lid that hangs over the edge.
6. Glaze the lid with beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool a little before removing from the pan.
2 broccoli heads (about 1.5 lbs in total), cut into florets
2 tbsp butter
3-4 leeks, washed, trimmed and sliced thinly
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup each chopped chives and tarragon
3 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
7 oz Gorgonzola, cut into chunks
1 egg, beaten
