A great way to use up leftover sweet potatoes after Thanksgiving or any other time that you have lots of this delicious vegetable waiting to be used or you have cooked too many.
INGREDIENTS:
12 oz readymade shortcrust pastry
OR
Shortcrust Pastry Ingredients:
4 oz salted butter
8 oz plain flour
4-5 tbsp cold water
Filling Ingredients:
8 oz sweet potato, peeled and sliced
1 shallot
3 eggs
6 fl oz creme fraiche
10 fl oz milk (skimmed or full fat)
2 oz good blue cheese
2 oz ham or bacon
METHOD:
Make the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs.
Add sufficient water to bring the pastry together into a ball without it being sticky and leave to rest for half an hour covered in the fridge.
Cook the sweet potato in boiling water until soft. Leave to cool. Fry off the shallot until soft. Set to one side to cool.
Line a 9 inch flan dish with the rested pastry. Prick the bottom of the base gently with a fork to stop air bubbles forming. Bake blind by crumpling baking parchment and placing it in the pastry case gently. Then fill with ceramic baking beans spreading them out evenly.
Cook at 230°C/450º F/Gas mark 8 for 20 minutes until lightly brown and a little crisp. Remove the paper and beans. Beat the eggs together and add the creme fraiche and milk incorporating together with a whisk. Puree or mash the sweet potato and gradually add to the egg mixture until thoroughly mixed.
Once the pastry case has come out of the oven, dot the base with the blue cheese, onion and ham. Pour the egg mixture into the pastry case and bake on 170°C/350ºF/ Gas mark 4 for 45 minutes, or until the centre doesn’t wobble.
Serve hot or cold with a green salad.