Makes 1 x 25cm tart, serving 8

For the shortcrust pastry

250g plain flour

Pinch of salt

125g cold butter, cubed

1 egg, separated

For the filling

2 tbsp olive oil

50g butter

750g spinach, washed

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Nutmeg, to grate

200ml double cream

100ml single cream

4 egg yolks

1 whole egg

200g grated mature cheddar

First, make the shortcrust pastry. Sift the flour into a food processor, add the salt and butter, then whizz for about 45 seconds. Next, add the egg yolk and blend for a further 15 seconds. At this stage, add a couple of teaspoons of ice-cold water. The mixture should become less crumbly and form a ball. Stop pulsing once the ball has formed. (Be careful not to add too much water.) Remove the pastry from the bowl, then wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to make the tart, preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Roll out the pastry to a diameter of about 30cm on a lightly floured surface, lift into a well-buttered flan dish and press into place. Trim the excess from the sides. Place in the oven and bake blind for 10-15 minutes.

To make the filling, heat the olive oil with the butter in the largest frying pan you own. (You might need to do the spinach in a couple of batches if you are using a small pan.) Once the butter and oil start bubbling, add the spinach and season with the garlic, salt, pepper and a good grating of nutmeg. Stir until the spinach has wilted, then place in a colander to strain and leave until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the leaves as hard as you can to extract excess moisture.

Mix the creams together, add the egg yolks, whole egg and spinach, season to taste, then blitz in a food processor. Place half the cheese in the pastry case, pour over the spinach mix and top with the remaining cheese. Return to the bottom of the oven and cook for 45 minutes. If the top looks like it is getting slightly overdone, cover with baking paper.

Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

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