This is a ground lamb and leek tart baked in a shortcrust shell with a Gruyère and cream custard. It takes about 1 hour 40 minutes start to finish, feeds six, and holds up well the next day — which makes it genuinely useful for a week where you want one good cook session to cover two meals.
The short version of why this works
Two things carry this recipe. First, blind baking the crust before the filling goes in — skip this and the bottom turns soft and doughy under the wet custard. Fifteen minutes with pie weights, then five more uncovered, gives you a shell that stays crisp all the way through. Second, letting the cooked lamb cool before folding it into the egg and cream mixture matters more than it sounds. Hot meat starts cooking the eggs on contact, and you end up with scrambled bits in your custard instead of a smooth, set filling. Ten minutes off the heat is enough.
About the ingredients
- Ground lamb: Grass-fed is great if you have it, but standard supermarket ground lamb works fine here. The cumin and thyme do a lot of the seasoning work regardless.
- Gruyère: This is the pricey one. Sharp white cheddar is a solid swap and melts just as well. A mix of cheddar and a small amount of Parmesan also works if that’s what’s in the fridge.
- Heavy cream: Half-and-half can substitute in a pinch — the custard will be slightly less rich and may need an extra minute or two in the oven to fully set. Avoid anything lower-fat than half-and-half or the filling won’t hold its slice.
- Leeks: Two medium leeks. If you’re short, one leek plus one extra yellow onion covers it without a noticeable gap in flavor.
- Pie weights: Dried beans or uncooked rice work exactly as well. Store them in a jar after use — they’re reusable for months.
Make-ahead notes
The pastry dough can be made up to two days ahead and kept wrapped in the fridge, or frozen for up to a month — thaw overnight before rolling. The lamb and leek filling (before adding eggs and cream) keeps refrigerated for up to two days, which makes day-of assembly quick. The fully baked tart keeps covered in the fridge for three days. Reheat individual slices in a 325°F (160°C) oven for about 12 minutes; the microwave works but softens the crust. The baked tart also freezes well for up to six weeks — wrap tightly, freeze flat, and reheat from frozen at 350°F (175°C) for 25–30 minutes.
Common problems and fixes
- Custard is still liquid in the center after the listed bake time: Oven temperatures vary. Cover the edges loosely with foil to stop the crust browning further, and give it another 8–10 minutes. The center should have just a slight wobble — like set Jell-O, not soup — when you pull it.
- Filling is watery: Ground lamb releases a lot of liquid. Make sure you cook it until most of the moisture has evaporated before seasoning — you should hear the sizzle change from steaming to frying. Draining off excess fat also helps keep the custard from splitting.
- Crust shrinks down the sides during blind baking: The dough needs to be well chilled before it goes in the oven. If your kitchen is warm, put the lined, weighted tart pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before blind baking. Also press the dough slightly above the rim of the pan to account for natural shrinkage.
- Tart sticks to the pan: A removable-bottom tart pan solves this, but if yours is fixed, line the base with a circle of parchment before adding the pastry. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish — and just run a thin spatula around the edge before slicing.
- Lamb flavor tastes too strong: This usually means the fat wasn’t drained after browning. Spoon off the excess before adding seasoning. A small squeeze of lemon juice stirred into the filling before baking also cuts through any gaminess without changing the character of the dish.
Lamb Mince and Leek Tart
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK) - preferably unbleached
½ cup unsalted butter - cold, cubed
3 tbsp water - ice water, add 1 tbsp at a time until dough comes together
For the Filling:
1 tbsp olive oil - extra virgin preferred
1 medium yellow onion - finely chopped- 2 pieces leeks - white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and washed
1 clove garlic - minced
1 lb ground lamb (minced lamb) - fresh, preferably grass-fed
½ tsp cumin - ground
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt - or to taste
¼ tsp ground black pepper - freshly cracked
3 large eggs - room temperature
¾ cup heavy cream
½ cup Gruyère cheese - grated ; or sharp white cheddar
Instructions
Make the Pastry:
- In a bowl, use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to rub the cold butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add ice water gradually and mix until it forms a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out the chilled pastry on a floured surface and line a 10-inch tart pan. Trim edges, prick the base with a fork, line with parchment, and fill with pie weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, bake 5 more minutes. Let cool slightly.
Prepare the Filling:
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and leeks for 8-10 minutes until soft and lightly caramelized. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add lamb mince to the skillet. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until browned and most moisture has evaporated. Season with cumin, thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Stir in cheese. Fold in the cooled lamb and leek mixture. Pour into the pre-baked tart shell.
- Bake the filled tart at 375°F (190°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until just set and golden on top. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- For a lighter version, substitute ground turkey or chicken for the lamb.
- You can make the dough the night before and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before rolling.
- Herbes de Provence can add depth if you wish to replace thyme.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use store-bought shortcrust pastry instead of making my own?
Yes, and it works well here. Look for an all-butter shortcrust if you can find it — the flavor is closer to homemade than the vegetable-shortening versions. Roll it slightly thinner than the package suggests so it crisps up properly during blind baking.
How do I know the lamb is cooked through safely?
Ground lamb needs to reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) — use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the filling after baking. Visually, the custard should be fully set with no jiggling liquid, and the filling should show no pink.
Can I make this without a tart pan?
A 9-inch pie dish works as a substitute — the sides will be deeper and the crust will be more pie-like than tart-like, but the filling quantity is the same. You may need an extra 5–8 minutes of bake time since the filling will sit deeper in the dish.
If you liked this one
- Gourmet Lamb Sausage Rolls
- Mediterranean Lamb Feta Pie
- Savory Lamb Rosemary Pies
- Cumberland Sausage Mince Pie
