Onion, Potato, St James and Thyme Tart

The time for al fresco lunches has arrived. Our Thyme tart recipe is sustaining and seriously flavourful; a welcome pick-me-up after a sunny walk through the wild meadows.

Originally published in Lorfords. Photo by Kirstie Young.

Serves 4

For the tart

• 1/4 square of St James (NB you can get this at Neal’s Yard Dairy here or the Courtyard Dairy here)

• 3 Roscoff onions of 6 shallots

• 1 sheet of readymade puff pastry (the 320g rectangular sheet measures 38cm by 26cm, which is perfect)

• 15 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked from the stem

• Olive oil for cooking

• Sea salt flakes

For the egg wash

• 1 yolk

• A splash of milk (approx. 15ml)

  
  
  

Preheat the oven to 180°C (normal) | 160°C (fan) | gas mark 4.

1 Slice the onions in half from root to tip, leaving the skin intact. Drizzle a little olive oil on a roasting tray, and season with salt. Place the onions cut side down on a tray and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Peel the potato and cut into quarters put into a pot, cover with water and bring to the boil, allowing them to cook for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

2 Carefully unroll puff pastry sheet and place it on a baking tray atop a sheet of baking paper. Using a small sharp knife, score a border, about 1cm in from the edges. Pull the onions into their individual petals and scatter them evenly across the puff pastry, discarding the skins. Drain your potato and break it into chucks before scattering across the tart. Chop the thyme leaves and do the same.  

3 Finally cut the St James into strips and layer evenly across your vegetables. Beat the egg and the milk together and use a pastry brush to paint the edge of the tart. Bake the tart in the oven for 25 minutes, until the tart is well risen and the base cooked and crisp.

Pull the tart out of the oven and serve with a green salad or as part of a picnic.