A mouthwatering supper-time treat, this tart is made with rich short crust pastry. For maximum crispness, the pastry is rolled as thinly as possible and baked directly on a baking sheet at a high temperature. The leeks must be small and thinly sliced so they cook through. They will be tender but still crisp. The smoky flavor of green peppercorns is delicious with leeks and cheese.

Ingredients: (Serves 4-6 as a light meal)

• 225 g/scant 1¾ cups all-purpose (plain) bleached flour
• ¼ teaspoon each salt and sugar
• 150 g/5½ oz butter
• 3 tablespoons iced water
• 100 g/3½ oz Cheddar
• 100 g/3½ oz mozzarella
• 1½ teaspoon dried green peppercorns
• 3 small leeks, weighing about 250 g/9 oz in total
• 50 g/1¾ oz pancetta
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• Beaten egg yolk, to glaze

Method:

Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl. Using a pastry blender if you wish, work in half the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Briefly work in the remaining butter, leaving it slightly unevenly mixed. Lightly stir in the water to form a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap (cling film) and chill for 1 hour.

Grate the cheeses, using the coarse blade of a grater. Crush the peppercorns with a pestle and mortar. Trim the leeks and slice in half lengthways, then crossways into 2 cm/¾ inch slices. You will need 175 g/6 oz of prepared leek. Cut the pancetta into bite-sized pieces.

Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/Gas 9. Roll out the dough on a floured surface as thinly as possible to form a 31 cm/12½ inch square. Carefully drape the dough over a rolling pin and place on a baking sheet. Trim the edges neatly.

Leaving a 1.5 cm/½ inch border all round, scatter the cheeses evenly over the dough. Sprinkle with the peppercorns and a little salt to taste, then add the leeks, spreading them out evenly. Sprinkle with the pancetta and thyme.

Fold up the edges of the pastry to slightly enclose the filling, folding the corners to a pleat. Brush the edges with the egg yolk. Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is golden and the leeks look slightly charred. Serve hot or warm.