Leek Shrimp Tart
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A savory tart featuring diced shrimp and tender leeks in a custard, baked in a flaky shortcrust pastry. Leeks are first softened into a gentle wilt; shrimp quickly seared with garlic and thyme. Custard made from eggs and creamy oat milk for a lighter texture. The crust is enriched with grated Parmesan to add nutty depth. Baked until golden and set, resting critical for slice clean-up. Adapted with dill instead of thyme, and shallot for garlic for a twist. A quick savory main, no nuts, great for a weeknight meal or casual dinner party. Recognize doneness by firm edges and springy center, not looking wet or wobbly. Mix of textures, fresh herb aroma, crisp bottom.
Prep:
40 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
Servings:
6 servings
#French inspired
#seafood tart
#savory tart
#baking tips
#oat milk custard
Leeks and shrimp. Not a usual couple but surprisingly complementary. The sweetness of leeks that have been slowly poached pairs nicely with the briny snap of shrimp. The custard sets around them, held up by a shortcrust pastry that’s buttery with a hint of Parmesan. No cream here, swapped for oat milk to lighten things up. I prefer using shallots over garlic; garlic can sometimes dominate the delicate seafood flavor. Dill instead of thyme – fresher, slightly citrusy, unexpected twist but worth it. Blind baking the crust is a must.The crust should be golden but not dark, still sturdy enough to hold the juicy filling. Watch the custard carefully; wobble means almost done but set enough to slice clean. Rest cooled, always. I learned the hard way. The filling is velvety, punctuated by little shrimpy bites and sweet morsels of leek. Serve with a tart green salad. Simple, satisfying.
Ingredients
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
- 260 ml 1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 ml 1/2 tsp salt
- 60 ml 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter cubes
- 1 egg yolk only
- 10 ml 2 tsp cold water
- 15 ml 1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
FILLING
- 400 g peeled shrimp chopped into 1 cm (1/2 inch) pieces
- 1 medium shallot minced
- 1 tsp fresh dill finely chopped
- 20 ml 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
- 240 ml 1 cup oat milk or alternative dairy
- 200 ml 3/4 cup cooked drained leeks (see notes)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
About the ingredients
Don’t skimp on chilling the dough; cold butter is the backbone here. If you lack butter, coconut oil chilled works but expect a different crumb texture. Parmesan in dough isn’t traditional but adds a nice nutty background; skip or substitute with finely ground almonds if not avoiding nuts. Oat milk adds sweetness and lightness, but whole milk or half-and-half are fine for creamier mouthfeel. Shrimp – choose fresh or thawed frozen. Avoid pre-cooked shrimp or you risk rubbery texture. Leeks must be well drained; soggy custard is a common pitfall. The shallot swap from garlic protects flavor balance, but garlic lovers could add a hint chopped fine at the end of cooking shrimp, watch intensity. Dill herb flexibility—tarragon or chervil also excellent. Weights for blind baking? Dry rice or beans work fine as pantry backups.
Method
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
- 1. Into food processor sift flour, salt, Parmesan. Pulse briefly to mix. Add cold butter cubes, pulse 4-5 times, short bursts. Avoid overmixing – mixture should look coarse crumbs, pea-sized butter bits visible. Add egg yolk and cold water one tbsp at a time. Pulse till dough just holds when pinched. Dough will be shaggy but cohesive.
- 2. Gather dough with floured hands, form disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate minimum 40 min. Resting firms butter, hydrate flour. No skipping or pastry toughens.
- 3. On floured surface, roll dough to 28 cm (11 inch) circle, about 3 mm thick. Easy to patch cracks with fingertips. Don’t over-roll or crust shrinks in oven.
- 4. Fit gently into 25 cm (10 inch) tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges, patch if needed. Chill again for 35 min so butter firms back.
- 5. Preheat oven to 185°C (365°F), position rack lower third.
- 6. Dock dough with fork all over to prevent puffing. Line with parchment, fill with pie weights or dry beans. Blind bake about 15 minutes until edges turning pale gold but base still soft. Remove weights, bake 5-7 min more till lightly toasted. Crust must stay dry to support filling.
FILLING
- 7. Prepare leeks: wash thoroughly, slice thin rings, poach gently in simmering salted water till tender about 8-10 min. Drain well, squeeze excess moisture to avoid soggy custard.
- 8. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high. Add shallots, sweat until translucent but not browned about 2 min. Add chopped shrimp and dill, cook just until shrimp opaque, 1-2 min. Watch carefully; overcooked shrimp rubbery. Remove from heat, cool slightly.
- 9. In medium bowl, whisk eggs with oat milk. Stir in cooked leeks, shrimp mixture. Season with salt and pepper but cautious – shrimp and Parmesan in crust add saltiness. Mix gently, don’t whip in air bubbles; custard should be smooth but not frothy.
- 10. Pour filling into blind-baked crust. Tap pan lightly to remove air bubbles, spread evenly.
- 11. Bake bottom rack for 45-50 minutes. Watch crust edges; if too dark, cover loosely with foil. Filling is done when top is set but with a slight jiggle in center. Curiosity: pressing gently with finger; should spring back. Wet or weeping custard means underdone.
- 12. Remove tart from oven. Cool at room temp for 15 minutes minimum so custard firms for neat slicing. Serve warm or room temp alongside crisp arugula salad dressed simply.
KEY TIPS
- Chill dough aggressively to keep flakiness, use cold butter always. Substitute oat milk for lighter body but feel free to use whole milk or cream if wanting richness and classic mouthfeel. Parmesan in dough adds subtle umami; if cheese not available, use a pinch of sea salt and a dash of smoked paprika to deepen crust flavor. Dill switched in for thyme for fresher anise notes; tarragon would be worth a try if available. Saute shallot gently to avoid bitterness that raw garlic can bring at times; garlic may overpower delicate shrimp and leek.
- Trick learned: press dough edges up the sides slightly higher than pan rim to prevent filling overflow during baking. Use smaller shrimp chunks for better texture contrast. Using parchment and weights during blind bake crucial to avoid bubble pockets. If crust feels soft post bake, extend dry bake time by 3-5 minutes but watch so no burning.
- Resting after baking critical. Tried slicing hot too soon; filling oozed out ruining texture and presentation. Patience here pays off. When cooking shrimp, timing is everything: a few seconds longer and rubbery; a few seconds less, they’re underdone and chewy.
Cooking tips
Pulse butter into flour just until pea sized lumps form; over-blending melts butter and toughens dough. The egg yolk adds richness without toughening gluten as whole egg would. Chill dough twice to relax gluten and firm fats. Docking crust prevents bubbling during blind bake, a must. During link preparation, moisture is enemy – squeeze leeks dry, eggs in custard just mixed enough to combine, not foam. Heat shrimp through without overcooking; watch appearance closely. Baking is a slow gentle set; look for color on top shifting to pale gold with just a jiggle when nudged. Cover edges to prevent darkening too soon. Cooling is essential—warm filling runs and slices poorly. A good knife heated briefly in warm water cuts cleaner slices when ready to serve. Serve with peppery greens to cut richness.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Chill dough twice for flakiness; first after mixing to rest gluten; second after shaping in pan so butter firms up again. Cold butter key; melts fast otherwise. Pulse flour and butter until pea-sized lumps remain; overdoing means dense crust. Use grated Parmesan in dough for subtle umami; no cheese swap to smoked paprika plus salt works, flavor depth shifts. Pat crust edges slightly higher than rim to catch filling swell, prevents messy overflow that ruins bake.
- 💡 Blind bake crust with weights—rice, beans, or pie weights alone. Dock dough first to stop bubbles but weights press crust flat and keep base dry. Remove parchment before last few minutes to light toast crust bottom. Wet pastry or soggy base ruins custard setting; drain leeks extra well, press to squeeze out moisture or custard goes runny. If crust soft post blind bake, tack on 3-5 minutes dry bake, but watch carefully for browning.
- 💡 Sauté shallots gently in olive oil until translucent but don’t brown; bitterness kills sweet shrimp flavor. Dill chopped fresh is bright swap for thyme; if none fresh, dried dill but less potent. Watch shrimp closely; 1-2 minutes only until opaque, rubbery if overcooked, underdone feels chewy. Cool slightly before mixing custard so eggs don’t start cooking early. Mix eggs and oat milk lightly; lumps break if whisked too hard or custard foams, avoid air bubbles for smooth set.
- 💡 Poach leeks in lightly salted simmering water, not a boil, about 8-10 minutes till soft but not mushy. Drain and squeeze well; excess water floods custard and ruins firm slice. Baking custard done when surface set but with slight jiggle in center, edges spring back when pressed. If weeping or wet, needs longer bake. Cover edges loosely with foil if browning too fast. Cooling 15 mins minimum before slicing critical; filling firms and cuts clean, no running.
- 💡 Substitute oat milk for lighter texture; whole milk or light cream make custard richer but thicker mouthfeel. Butter can switch to chilled coconut oil but expect denser bite and different crumb. Use smaller shrimp pieces for texture contrast. If crust cracks while rolling, patch with bits and chill again. Avoid garlic if herbs delicate as it overpowers shrimp flavor; shallot gentler, or add tiny minced garlic at end if you want punch. Parchment and weights really prevent bubbling, no shortcuts.
Common questions
How do I prevent soggy crust?
Drain leeks well; squeeze excess water. Blind bake crust with weights. Dock dough before blind bake. Use parchment under weights then remove last bake stage. Chill dough twice; firm butter avoids shrinkage. Dry bake longer if still soft but watch edges.
Can I use whole milk instead of oat milk?
Yes, thickens custard more, richer flavor but heavier. Oat milk lighter, less fat. Cream works too but custard sets denser. Adjust baking time slightly; richer custard may need longer to set fully. Test jiggle on surface is key.
My shrimp got rubbery; what went wrong?
Overcooked - only 1-2 minutes in hot pan till opaque. Remove from heat immediately. Shrimp continue cooking with residual heat if left too long. Smaller pieces cook faster; watch timing exactly. Under cooked feels chewy; same watch time but less.
How to store leftover tart?
Cool completely then wrap tightly with foil or plastic. Refrigerate up to 2 days best. Reheat gently in low oven to avoid crust sogginess. Can freeze whole tart wrapped well, thaw overnight in fridge before warming. Texture slightly changes with freezing but still tasty.
