Spanish tart with tomatoes, serrano ham and olives Recipe
A savoury tart on a shortcrust base with tomatoes, serrano ham and black olives, somewhere between a French tart and a Spanish tapa. It’s perfect for a dinner with friends – you can cut it into small pieces and serve it on a large board alongside cheeses and olives. It tastes great both warm and at room temperature.
This tart combines a classic buttery French-style shortcrust with distinctly Spanish flavours: serrano ham, black olives and juicy tomatoes. It’s easy to share, looks impressive on a platter and works both as a main dish and as a tapas-style snack.
Chef's tips
Work quickly when making the dough so the butter stays cold – this keeps the crust crumbly and tender. If the dough feels too soft after rolling, chill it in the tin for another 10 minutes before blind-baking. Use ripe but firm tomatoes so they don’t release too much juice while baking.
How to serve
Serve the tart slightly warm with a simple green salad and marinated olives on the side. It also pairs well with a board of Spanish cheeses, roasted peppers and a carafe of chilled white wine or light rosé.
Ingredients
- wheat flour - 220 g
- butter - 120 g
- egg - 1 piece
- water - 2 tablespoon
- tomatoes - 250 g
- serrano ham - 70 g
- black olives - 40 g
- cheese grated - 80 g
- cream heavy or whipping - 150 ml
- eggs - 2 pieces
- oregano dried - 1 teaspoon
- salt
- black pepper freshly ground
Preparation
- Put the flour into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and the cold butter cut into cubes.
- Quickly rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until fine crumbs form.
- Add 1 egg and cold water, quickly knead the dough just until it comes together; form a ball, flatten it, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat).
- Roll out the chilled dough into a round slightly larger than the tart tin (about 24 cm), transfer it to the tin, pressing it into the base and sides, and trim off any excess dough.
- Prick the base of the dough several times with a fork, cover with baking paper and fill with dried beans or rice as weights.
- Blind-bake the crust for 12 minutes, then remove the paper with the weights and bake for another 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the cream with 2 eggs, add the grated cheese, oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Halve the tomatoes, tear the ham into smaller pieces, and slice the olives.
- Spread the ham and olives over the pre-baked crust, pour over the cream-and-egg mixture, and arrange the tomato halves on top, cut side up.
- Put the tart in the oven and bake for 20–22 minutes, until the filling is set and the top is lightly golden.
- Leave the tart to stand for 10 minutes before slicing so it can cool slightly and firm up.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This tart is one of those dishes that instantly brings to mind a relaxed evening in a Spanish tapas bar. It’s ideal when you’re hosting friends and want something that looks special without being complicated to make.
