Fish
Hot crabby tarts
Crab, particularly the brown meat, has an amazing affinity with curry spices. This straightforward tart is delicious both warm and at room temperature. It pairs well with a bowl of buttery peas or some quick-braised greens.
Ingredients
main
- 1 x 25cm pastry case – about 350g shortcrust pastry.
For the filling
- 70g butter
- 2 large red onions, sliced thinly
- 200g masala curry paste
- good pinch cayenne (to taste)
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 300ml half-fat crème fraîche
- 100g garden peas or petit pois.
- 300g fresh brown crab meat
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Blind bake the pastry case for 20 minutes.
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Step 2
For the filling, melt a third of the butter in a large heavy-based frying pan over a low heat. Add the onions and fry 10 minutes, stirring until just softened. Add the masala paste, and cayenne if using, and stir and cook until you start to smell the spices. Remove from the heat and set aside.
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Step 3
Put the eggs in a large jug and beat lightly with a whisk. Stir in the crème fraîche, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Beat together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Stir in the crab meat.
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Step 4
Blanch the peas in boiling water for two minutes, drain and mix in to the egg mix.
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Step 5
Fold the onion mix in to the crème friache mixture and ladle in to the pie case. Cook on the baking tray for 25 minutes, or until the filling is golden-brown and just set. (It should still wobble a tiny bit in the centre as it will continue to set as it cools.) Remove the quiche from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing.
