smoked ocean trout and goats cheese tart – work lunch or racing lunch!

These are so simple and delicious. I had some smoked ocean trout in the freezer and the goats cheese was left over from a salad on a weekend entertaining lunch. It was Sunday afternoon and I threw it together for the week’s work lunches!

This pastry is delicious, quick and foolproof but don’t feel guilty if you are in a rush and use store bought puff or shortcrust pastry (or if that is what is in the freezer). You can make it in a quiche tin, muffin tins, or poured (without pastry) into paper cup cake liners in a muffin tin for a mini frittata, as shown above.

I do freeze these, but if you take them from the freezer to the microwave they give out a lot of liquid, and aren’t that great. Reheated from frozen in the oven is fantastic.

I’ve found a savoury tart pastry that I really like, and use it for everything. Then the filling is just whatever is in the fridge or freezer!

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 300g plain flour
• 150g cold butter, cubed
• pinch of salt (if you would like – I don’t think it needs it)
• 150 ml of chilled water

Custard:

• 4 eggs, whisked
• 200ml of cream, full cream milk or lite milk, depending on how rich you like it
• 300g of smoked ocean trout, smoked salmon, or canned salmon
• 200g of goats cheese
• 25g of grated parmesan
• Chives or parsley to taste

METHOD:

First make the shortcrust. Pulse the flour, butter and salt in a food processor until it is like breadcrumbs. With the motor running stream in the water steadily until the dough just comes together (no more). Take it out and knead it a couple of time, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.

Whisk the eggs and add the cream or milk, and break up the trout and goats cheese, grate the parmesan and cut up the herbs that you are using. Then roll out the pastry over a greased quiche tin, preferably with a push out bottom. Prick the base with a fork and then bake weighted down with parchment and beads for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and beads, and then cook for another 5 minutes till dry and lightly coloured. Allow too cool.

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Pour in the egg and cream mix, then drop in the ocean trout and goats cheese, not minding if bits poke out the top. Sprinkle over parmesan and herbs, and give it a really good grind of black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or so until it is set and the top is brown.