Pic of Smoked trout and French bean tart

Smoked trout and French bean tart

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Fish

Smoked trout and French bean tart

Main Serves 6 1h 50 min
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

Prep time: 40 min
Cooking time: 1h 10 min

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.

  • Step 4

    Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

  • 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.

  • Step 6

    Cover the pastry with baking parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 15 minutes.

  • 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.

  • 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.