Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Un-roll pastry and cut into 6 rectangles about 11.5 x 12.5cm (41⁄2 x 5in). Transfer to a baking sheet, lined with greaseproof paper. Using a small, sharp knife, lightly score a border 1cm (1⁄2in) from edge, making sure you don't cut through pastry. Prick each base with a fork inside the border. Chill while you make the filling.
Step 2
In a large frying pan, heat 3tbsp oil and gently fry the leeks and half the thyme leaves for about 5min until beginning to soften. Add the ale, crème fraîche, 2tsp mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Increase heat and simmer for 5min until reduced. Remove from the heat, season and set aside to cool slightly.
Step 3
Brush edges of tartlets with 1 egg yolk. Bake for 12min until risen.
Step 4
Meanwhile, stir cheese and remaining yolks into cooled leek mixture. Spread mixture inside border of each tartlet, scoring around the edges again and pressing down centre if necessary. Return to oven for 10min until golden and bubbling.
Step 5
To make dressing, whisk together remaining oil, mustard and lemon juice with sugar, and season to taste. Sprinkle the cooked tarts with the remaining thyme leaves and serve with salad leaves and dressing.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
