Green egg and pancetta puff-pastry pie

This one is great for a Sunday brunch or even cold for a picnic. It's almost like a quiche but has the delightful flavours of the spinach and leek on top of the base which has a beautiful flaky texture. We enjoyed this one as a lazy Sunday dinner served with a simple salad. Two of the three kids tried it and actually ate it. I find the more they help and prepare things the more they will try the food. Mr M even took a slice the next day in his lunch box.
This recipe is from another great book - Karen Martini - Feasting - on page 245

You will need:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 leeks, thinly sliced
1/2 brown onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100ml water
300g baby spinach, washed and shredded
2 1/2 tablespoons pouring cream
20g butter
1 sheet puff pastry, cut into a 30 cm square
4 eggs
6 thin slices pancetta
1/4 bunch chives, finely chopped

You will also need a deep 24cm springform tin and a heavy-based oven tray to make this pie.

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees (fan-forced).

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add the leek, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes.

Pour in the water and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the spinach, cream and butter and cook for 6 minutes until paste-like, then puree with a stick blender until smooth. set aside to cool.

My stick blender wasn't charged so I had to use my food processor which did the same job.

Place the pastry in the base of a lightly oiled 24cm springform tin ( at least 5 cm deep). Spread the leek mixture over the pastry and 3cm up the sides. 

Crack the eggs on top of the leek mixture and scatter with the pancetta.

 Add the chives and season to taste. Roll the edges of the pastry down to the level of the pie mixture, twisting in a rope-like fashion. Place the tin on a heavy cast-iron tray that has been preheated in the oven (this will keep enough heat under the tart to cook the pastry).

I didn't have a cast-iron tray so I just preheated one of my thick baking trays and placed it on top of it in the oven.

 So easy and a great recipe to impress your friends with.

Enjoy! M x