Leek Tart

Main Course

Caramelized leeks arranged in spirals, dotted with creamy goat cheese, covered with crisp puff pastry, then flipped upside down to reveal a glossy, golden leek tart. This is tarte tatin gone savory, sweet, sticky leeks with tangy cheese and buttery pastry. Looks absolutely stunning and tastes even better. Perfect for lunch with a green salad or as an impressive starter.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings 4

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Ingredients  

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• 6 leeks about 1kg total, white and pale green parts only
• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry
• 200 gr goat’s cheese
• 1 egg optional, for egg wash
• 50 gr unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp dry white wine
• 4 sprigs thyme
• salt and black pepper

Equipment

• fluted flan dish at least 4cm deep
• aluminium foil
• knife
• Plate or board larger than your pan for flipping
• pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1. Prepare and steam the leeks

   Trim the dark green tops off the leeks and cut off the roots. Rinse the leeks thoroughly to remove any grit between the layers.

   Cut the white and pale green parts into 3cm cylinders. You want neat, even pieces that will stand upright.

   Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

   Arrange the leek cylinders upright in a baking dish. Pour in the stock, it should come about 1cm up the sides of the leeks. Cover tightly with foil.

   Steam in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the leeks are tender when pierced with a knife but still holding their shape. They should be cooked through but not falling apart.

   Remove from the oven and drain well. Pat dry with kitchen paper, this is important for the glaze to stick properly and for proper caramelization.

   Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan)/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
2. 2. Arrange the leeks

   Stand the steamed leek cylinders upright in your tart tin, packing them in tightly. Start from the outside edge and work your way to the centre. They should fit snugly together with no gaps.

   If you have small pieces that won't stand up, tuck them into any gaps horizontally.

   Season with salt and pepper.
3. 3. Make the glaze and brush

   In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, honey, white wine, and thyme leaves. Whisk together until combined.

   Brush this glaze generously over the top of the standing leeks. Make sure they're well coated, this is what caramelizes them and makes them sticky and golden.
4. 4. Top with pastry

   Drape the pastry over the leeks, tucking the edges down inside the tin all the way around. The pastry should completely cover the leeks and be tucked in snugly against the sides.

   Prick the pastry a few times with a fork to let steam escape.
5. 5. Bake

   Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and lightly golden but not deeply browned. You want it cooked through but pale, it'll finish colouring when you grill the goat cheese on top.

   The pastry should feel firm and crisp when you touch it, but it shouldn't be dark golden yet.

   Remove from the oven. Let it sit for 5 minutes, this lets the glaze settle slightly and makes flipping easier.
6. 6. Flip the tart

   Place a large plate or serving board over the top of the tin. Hold it firmly and flip the whole thing over in one confident motion.

   Lift the tin off carefully. The leeks should be glazed and golden, standing in neat rounds like little towers.

   If any have stuck to the tin, just lift them off with a knife and put them back in place on the tart.
7. 7. Add goat cheese and finish

   Slice the goat cheese log into rounds about 5-7mm thick. Place a slice of cheese on top of each leek round. Don't worry if you can't cover every single one, just place them where they fit naturally.

   Turn your grill to high (or set the oven to 220°C/200°C fan). Place the tart under the grill (or back in the hot oven) for 5-7 minutes until the goat cheese is melting, turning golden, and starting to bubble.

   Watch it carefully, you want golden and slightly charred in spots, not burnt.
8. 8. Serve

   Serve immediately whilst the cheese is still warm and melty. Cut into wedges and serve with a green salad.

Notes

• Steaming the leeks in stock is more flavourful than blanching in water. The stock adds depth, and the gentle oven heat cooks them evenly without making them waterlogged.
• After steaming the leeks, pat them really dry. Wet leeks won’t caramelize properly and will make the pastry soggy.
• Soft, fresh goat cheese (chèvre frais) works best. It melts beautifully and turns golden under the grill. Aged goat cheese is too firm and won’t melt properly.
• If you wish to make it ahead, you can steam the leeks and arrange them in the tin a few hours ahead. Keep covered at room temperature, then glaze, top with pastry, and bake when needed. Don’t flip until just before serving.
• Grilling gives you better colour on the cheese, it browns faster and more evenly. But if your grill isn’t strong, just whack the oven up to 220°C and bake for 5-7 minutes instead.
• This leek tart is lovely at room temperature too. Serve leftover wedges for lunch the next day with salad.

About this recipe

Tarte tatin was invented by accident in the 1880s at the Hôtel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron (Loire Valley). Stéphanie Tatin supposedly forgot to put the pastry in the pan first, so she just stuck it on top and flipped the whole thing after baking. Happy accident.

The savory tarte tatin is a more modern invention, French chefs in the 1980s and 90s started applying the technique to vegetables. Onions were first, then tomatoes, endive, and leeks.

Leeks work particularly well because they’re naturally sweet and become even sweeter when caramelized. Combined with goat cheese, they’re a classic French pairing, you see it in quiches, galettes, and soups all over France.

Standing the leek cylinders upright is a clever modern technique. Traditional versions layer leeks flat or arrange them in spirals. But standing them up gives you those beautiful rounds when you flip the tart, each wedge has perfect circles of caramelized leek.

Finishing with grilled goat cheese on top is a bistro touch. It adds richness and that lovely golden, slightly crispy texture you get when cheese browns under high heat.

This is the kind of dish you’d find in a good French bistro as a starter or on a summer lunch menu. It looks impressive, but it’s really just leeks, cheese, and pastry. The tarte tatin method does all the work.