Smoked Haddock Leek and Cheese Tart
By Documenting My Dinner
Blind baked Parmesan shortcrust pastry is filled to the brim with smoked haddock, leeks, cheese, eggs and cream for a mouthwatering smoky tart.
Serves 2.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 200g plain flour
- 100g butter, cubed
- 40g parmesan, grated
For the Smoked Haddock, Leek and Cheese Tart filling:
- Two smoked haddock fillets
- 300ml milk
- Peppercorns and bay leaf
- 1 Leek
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 60g mature cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks
- 200ml single cream
- Nutmeg, salt and white pepper
- Butter
For the mustard vinaigrette:
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- Juice of one lemon
- Tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
To Serve
- Steamed green beans or other vegetables
Method
- Start by making the pastry. Measure the flour into a bowl and add the butter and grated Parmesan. Rub the mixture together using your fingertips by lifting pinches of the mixture up from the bowl and then rubbing between your fingertips. Repeat until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add a 2-3 tablespoons of cold water and knead until just sticking together in a ball. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Wash the leek thoroughly to get rid of any dirt. Cut in half length ways into two, and then cut those halves again so you have four pieces. Chop each piece finely.
- Add a tablespoon of butter to a pan and allow to melt over a medium heat. Add the chopped leek and shallot and saute for about five minutes until softened. You still want a bit of a bite to it.
- Meanwhile, add the milk to another pan along with a teaspoon of peppercorns, the bay leaf and a grind of salt. Bring to a simmer and add the smoked haddock. Poach for six minutes. Be sure to not let the milk boil, you just want a very gentle simmer.
- In a jug, add the eggs, egg yolks and cream. Season with half a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg, white pepper and salt. Stir to combine. Once cooled, add about 100ml of the milk the fish was poached in.
- Heat the oven to 200C. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to fit two 10cm tartlet tins. This YouTube tutorial is a good method of doing this.
- Blind bake the tart case for 15 minutes. Remove the baking beans and bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Put half of the leek and shallot mixture in each tart. Top each with half of the cheese and then flake over the poached smoked haddock. Fill each tart with the liquid and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until firm and beginning to look golden on top.
- Whilst the tarts are cooking, whisk the dressing ingredients together, seasoning with salt and pepper. Steam the green beans.
- Serve the Smoked Haddock, Leek and Cheese Tart with the Green Beans and a drizzle of the mustard dressing.
About Documenting My Dinner
Long time customer and Amity contributor Documenting My Dinner, aka Kerry Whyte, is an Aberdeen-based food blogger with a passion for cooking from scratch and encouraging others to do the same Always keen to use local produce in her cooking and dabble with unusual ingredients, Kerry juggles her food blog and Instagram @documenting_my_dinner with her full time job as a solicitor. We love Kerry's passion for local produce and amazing dishes.
