Fish
Smoked trout and French bean tart
An exquisite combination of smoky fish and fresh green beans in a light, creamy custard. This makes a great main for a summer meal, and only needs accompanying with a green salad. If you want to cut corners, use shop-bought pastry instead of making your own.
Ingredients
for the pastry
- 175g plain flour
- 125g cold butter, cubed
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 2-3 tbsp cold water
for the filling
- 4 eggs
- 150ml crème fraîche
- 2 heaped tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 100g smoked trout, flaked
- 200g French beans, topped and tailed, cut into 1-2 cm pieces
- 50g Gruyère cheese (or other hard cheese), grated
- salt and pepper
Method
To make the pastry
-
Step 1
put all the ingredients except the water in a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
-
Step 2
Gradually add the water, until the mixture comes together and forms a smooth dough (you may only need 2 tablespoons of water, so add carefully).
-
Step 3
Gently make into a ball shape, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
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Step 4
Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
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Step 5
Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out on a floured work surface, until just thin enough to line a 24cm flan tin.
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Step 6
Cover the pastry with baking parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 15 minutes.
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Step 7
Remove the paper and beans and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes (do not let the pastry brown), then remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Make the filling
-
Step 1
In a large bowl, crack the eggs. Add the crème fraîche and lightly beat together.
-
Step 2
Add the dill, smoked trout, beans and cheese. Season and stir gently to combine all the ingredients.
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Step 3
Fill the pastry case with the mixture, return to the oven and cook for a further 30-40 minutes, or until just set and turning golden on top.
