By Treacle Tart
Posted Sunday, June 19th, 2016
Posted Sunday, June 19th, 2016
I thought it was appropriate to that the first recipe that I submitted should be a tart. This is a lovely summery dish that can be eaten hot or cold. Perfect for a summer celebration inside or out. You can also substitute the salmon for hot smoked or barbequed trout for a slightly cheaper version. It also works really well with other hard, strong flavoured cheeses like a mature cheddar.
I have included how to make your own pastry in the recipe, but you can also use bought shortcrust pastry for simplicity purposes.
I have put all the measurements for the recipe in metric, because I am a stinking European and Americans need to buy a set of weighing scales and get with the metric programme like the rest of the world.
Ingredients:
Pastry:
Plain flour 170g
Butter 85g
Water 3 tbsp
Filling:
Leeks 2 large/3 small
Hot smoked salmon 100g
Aged Gouda 125g
Cream 300ml
Eggs 3
Butter/Oil For frying
Thyme (optional) 2 sprigs
Salt/Pepper To season
Other requirements:
Mixing bowl, frying pan, rolling pin, measuring jug, baking parchment, clay baking beans/rice for blind baking, 20 cm tart or quiche dish
Method:
Pastry:
Measure out the flour and put into the bowl. It's best to sieve it, but I'm not going to lie, I am very bad for not doing that, however, the pastry still comes out okay, but not as good as when I sieve it. Next, put in your very cold butter (or marg or lard – whatever you fancy) cut into lumps.
Now comes the tricky part, making sure that your hands are cold before handling the mixture. I'm lucky in that I have bad circulation in my hands which tends to make them cold most of the time. However, if you have warm hands it's a good idea to run them under the cold tap. When your hands are nice and cold, rub the butter into the flour using your finger tips until it has the consistency of breadcrumbs.
Next, add the (very cold) water slowly mixing it into the dry ingredients. Two tips here: I measure the water into a jug for easier pouring and I use a knife to start off the mixing of the wet and dry ingredients together, once it's gotten going I use my hands to pull the mixture together. Make sure you take off rings and watches before start otherwise it gets very messy, and it isn't the most hygenic either.
If there is too little water, pieces will be flaking off and the pastry will be very crumbly and you should add a little more water. If there is too much water then the mixture will be sticky and you need to add a little more flour.
The perfect pastry will be slightly tacky to the touch but otherwise smooth. Wrap the finished pastry in clingfilm or a sandwich bag and put in the fridge where it can cool before you roll it out. It's good for the pastry to have at least an hour in the fridge but don't worry if you have to use it sooner than that.
Tart:
Preheat the oven to 170°C.
While the pastry is chilling in the fridge, clean the leeks and cut up into 1cm pieces. Melt a little butter in the frying pan and add the leeks. Cook over a low heat until they have become soft and silky. Leave the leeks to one side to cool, while you prepare the pastry case.
Grease the tart tin well and remove the pastry from the fridge, and place on a well floured board or worktop. Roll out the pastry so that it will cover the whole tart dish with a bit of overhang. Carefully roll the pastry up onto a well floured rolling pin and carefully unroll over the dish. Gently push the pastry down into the dish and ensure that all parts are covered. Prick the base and sides all over with a fork. This will ensure that any trapped air will escape during the baking.
Cut out a sheet of baking parchment, large enough to cover the tart dish. Place over the pastry and fill the centre of the dish with clay baking beans, or you can use dried rice, lentils or marrowfat peas. These help to keep the pastry case from bubbling up while you blind bake it. Blind baking will prevent the pastry from becoming soggy when we add the filling, and because the filling has a shorter cooking time than that of the pastry. Put the pastry case into the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
While the pastry case is baking, prepare the rest of the ingredients for the filling. Grate the cheese and put to one side. Break the salmon into pieces, I found this easier to do by hand rather than with a knife.
Break the eggs into a bowl, add the cream and beat well. Season with salt and pepper. Add thyme (leaves only) and beat again.
At this point the pastry case should be about ready to come out of the oven. It should be a very pale golden colour. Remove the parchment paper and baking beans. Add the leeks to the pastry case and spread evenly over the base.
Now it's time to start layering in the other ingredients. Spread half the hot smoked salmon over the leeks then sprinkle over half the gouda. Next, layer on the remaining salmon. Reserve a handful of the cheese, then spread the remainder over the top of the other fillings.
Carefully pour in the egg and cream mixture. Pat down any floating filling ingredients so that they become coated with the egg mixture.
Sprinkle your reserved handful of cheese over the top of the tart. Next, carefully cut off the excess pastry from the edge of the tart. Try not to take too much off, or you might spring a leak!
Take a moment to admire your handiwork, before transferring the tart into the oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes the filling of the tart should be firm to the touch and have turned a golden brown colour. If it still seems either a little runny or pale, return to the oven and check at 5 min intervals. Allow the tart to cool a little. Enjoy a slice on it's own or served with a salad.
About the Author:
Irish mother of one and stepmother to four. Married to a Wiccan. Pro-choice, extended breastfeeding feminist. Enjoys cooking, reading, watching films. Needs to learn how to write more entertaining bios.
