Sweetcorn and Bacon tarts

There are still beautiful husks of sweetcorn in my local Waitrose, although for this recipe tinned, frozen or fresh sweetcorn are all fine, so this canapé is not seasonal at all. The sweet flavour of the corn with the saltiness of the bacon is a great combination and although I haven't yet tried it out, I think a veggie version of sweetcorn with maybe a bit more onion would be good too. I will update when I get round to doing it.

So as usual, this is a great canapé for easy entertaining, just make ahead and reheat or, if you can spare the tins, pop the uncooked tarts in the freezer and cook from frozen. Make a larger version too for a delicious lunch.

Ingredients - makes 18

(Preparation time with all ingredients weighed out - 25 minutes + 10 minutes cooking)

40g sweetcorn, fresh, tinned or frozen (cook and cool if fresh or frozen)

1 rasher of bacon, finely chopped

30g onion, finely chopped

Splash of olive oil

1 egg

45ml creme fraiche

30g Parmesan, finely grated

Seasoning

1 sheet ready made chilled filo pastry

20g butter melted

1 mini tartlet tin

Method

Cook the bacon until the fat runs and it is beginning to crisp.

Add the finely chopped onion (and a splash of olive oil if necessary) and cook further until the onion has softened. Cool.

Lightly beat the egg and mix in the creme fraiche and Parmesan.

Mix the custard mixture into the onion and bacon and stir in the sweetcorn. Season. Set aside and prepare the filo bases.

For the filo:

Keep the filo wrapped in cling film or under a damp tea towel when it is not being used. Take one sheet of filo and cut strips, mine were 5 cms wide. Then cut across to make squares 5cm x 5cm

Brush melted butter on both sides of the filo squares and place in the mini tart tins, one square on top of the other, at an angle to each other, forming a star shape.

Spoon approximately 10mls of sweetcorn/bacon custard carefully into each case.

Preheat oven to 190 and cook the tartlets for 10 minutes in the middle of the oven.

Eat or cool and store in fridge until required.

Reheat at 180° for 5 minutes. Watch the pastry does not burn.

If freezing, put the mini tartlet tin with filled tartlets into the freezer. Cover when frozen.

To cook from frozen: heat oven to 190c and cook for 15 minutes. Check they are piping hot and serve.