A trip to my beloved Italy last weekend has left me missing the flavours of the season back in the UK – walnuts, fish, winter parmesan. Three out of three are satisfied in this great lunch dish. A crowd of people are in and out at all times of the day today – friends, hungry teenagers, visitors of all sorts. So I have something to hand to suit all, ready to gently warm in the oven and served with a fresh rocket salad. I have snuck some walnuts into the pastry – they are an excellent source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 essential fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, including being a very good source of manganese and copper. Using some wholemeal flour adds fibre to the pastry and the omega-3 , protein and vitamin D rich fish packs a full on flavour punch that belies its healthy credentials.

You can hold this in the fridge and cut it portion by portion ready for the next ones to arrive. Reheat gently in a warm oven for 10 minutes.

Smoked Fish Tart with Walnut Pastry – Serves 6-8

Pastry

1000g wholemeal flour

100g plain four

50g butter cubes

25g Grana Padano/Parmesan

1 medium egg

1 tbsp iced water

 

Filling

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium leek, finely sliced

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp turmeric

200ml double cream

3 eggs, 3 egg yolks

200g ethically sourced smoked cod or haddock (skinned) cut into small pieces

50g smoked salmon

25g gruyere cheese, grated

seasoning to taste

Turn the oven onto 200dg/180dg fan (Gas 6) and add a baking sheet in there. Take one food processor and whizz the flour and the nuts together until a fine powder. Add the butter and cheese to combine well and add the egg and the water little by little  until the crumbs form a dough.

Roll out onto a floured surface until the sheet of pastry is approximately 5mm thick and line a metal loose bottomed tart dish with it. Pop into the fridge for half an hour to cool.

Take the cold pasty case and pop a sheet of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans/weights and pop into the oven for 15 minutes. Then remove the paper and beans and pop back into the oven again for another 10 to dry the base out. Cool while you prepare the filling.

Melt the coconut oil in a large frying pan and gently cook the leeks until they are soft and bright. Tip them into the waiting cooled pastry case.

Chop the fish into bite size pieces and arrange on top of the leeks. Beat together the spices, egg and cream and carefully fill the case to just below the top of the pastry case. Sprinkle with the cheese and slide the whole lot onto the warmed baking sheet. Into the oven with it and bake for 15-20 minutes until the filling is just set.

Served warm with a green salad and a smile xx

Have a great weekend, Karen xxx