Friday, November 12, 2010

SMOKED SALMON AND DILL TARTS


Good evening boys and girls !

A tart is shallow, frivolous, fancy, dressed up with an open top. Usually baked in a shallow tin with a removable bottom and served on a pretty serving plate. A pie is down to earth, covered up, substantial and deep. Usually baked in a deep pie dish or bowl and served in it. But both may be sweet or savoury. And both are to be eaten.


And I'm happy to report that in today's unisexual world the word tart is used not only to disparage women but also men who are considered promiscuous and flamboyant ..... "with a fruity lisp and tight clothing" 

Fruithy lispth?  Fruithy listhpth? Gasthp. That soundths adorable.

Clathh dithmithed.


This is a tart recipe I saw a picture of in GoodFood magazine. (I love GoodFood magazine). These tarts could be made ahead, frozen and re-heated when guests arrive. Extremely easy to put together and like all tarts are fancy and playful. And cute. I had a grand time with them.

They are such dear little things I would serve them as part of a casual dinner party as a finger food out on a patio. If only I hadn't burnt them.

The recipe ~ from GoodFood magazine.....

500 bought shortcrust pastry or home made shortcrust pastry


8 oz smoked salmon, cut into strips
2 eggs
2 T fresh chopped dill
284 carton single cream (I used double)
wedges of lime to serve


Heat oven to 180 C. Use 6 4 inch tart pans. I used smaller pans so I got more tarts than I bargained for.


Pastry recipe :


8 oz plain flour
4 oz butter, cold and cubed
2-3 T cold water

Pre-heat oven to 200C. 


Sift flour, put in butter and rub butter into flour with your finger tips until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add the cold water and mix first with a spatula and then as it gets lumpy somewhat use your fingers to bring the dough together. 

Do not knead. This is not bread. It is pastry so it needs a light hand otherwise the gluten in the flour will get activated and the pastry will be tough. 

You could use a food processor very successfully but make sure you pulse the butter in the flour until it becomes like fine breadcrumbs and then add the water through the feed tube while the machine is running. Let the machine run until the mixture gathers into a ball. Turn off immediately and take out the dough. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before rolling out.


Roll out the dough and cut into rounds bigger than your tart pans. Line the pans (there is no need to grease the pans because the pastry is already buttery).

Line the pastry with rounds of greaseproof paper (I used foil) and fill to the top with beans (I used rice). Bake blind for 1o minutes. Remove from oven and remove the beans/rice and then bake another 5 minutes until golden. Reduce oven temp to 180C.

Build Tart :


Divide the salmon strips between the tart shells. Beat eggs and dill. Add cream and whisk, add salt and pepper to taste. Pour custard into tartlets. Bake for 15 minutes until the filling is set and top is pale gold.

Cool then wrap in foil and chill or freeze up to a month and defrost before re-heating. 

To re-heat :


Pre-heat oven to 180 C and bake defrosted tarts for 10 minutes. 

27 comments:

leaf (the indolent cook) said...

Looks simple and delicious! I love smoked salmon with creamy dill sauce.

Elin Chia said...

Zurin....oh gosh...all my favourite in one...SALMON ! I can't believe it when I saw this on your post. I am going to make this for Jo !!! it must be delicious..I just have to muax you for this scrumptious tart :) TQ for sharing it too :p

Unknown said...

wow Zurin...Love them...wish i could grab one rite now...:)

Dr.Sameena@

http://www.myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com

ann low said...

Aww..Zurin, I love smoked salmon and this looks so wonderfully delicious!

pam said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous photos. Seriously, I could look at them all day...preferrably while eating the tarts!

La Table De Nana said...

My girls will love these...Why am I thinking Class dithmithed:)I like the wood you have set them on also.I am looking for a nice piece of barnwood..w/ winter at my heels I don't think it will be soon:)Very nice ..as always.

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Lovely tarts! I bet it taste good too

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Zurin, you lull so effortlessly over the definition of the two treats... And yes, I too, am curious about 'fruity lisp' now! The tarts will not last long in your household, I am sure.

busygran said...

These are lovely to serve when friends come a-calling! Dill is perfect with salmon! Yum!
Btw, what's the brand of double cream you used.

a quiet life said...

who doesn't love a good tart lesson!

Jo said...

Gorgeous looking tarts and I bet they are delicious as well. Salmon and dill definitely go well together.

Min said...

Yummy! I love tarts, and salmon is my favourite also. Thanks for sharing the recipe :)

tinyskillet said...

Oh my this looks so good I want one now! What a special treat! I still wish I had a bite. I am a new follower!

Çitra's Home Diary said...

oouuchh... it looks ssoooo tempting ... Love salmon so much :)

Angie's Recipes said...

I have found the perfect tart here!

Linda said...

Oh these look wonderful Zurin! Perfect for the upcoming holidays!
Your pics are perfectly gorgeous!

sana said...

It's look really nice! I love smoked salmon and i can't wait to try this!

Sarah-Jane - SiliconeMoulds.com said...

Zurin - these photos are fantastic and your little tarts look simply divine. These have to be my favourite blog food photos in a long time ! x

Anonymous said...

Very good looking tarts! Love the flavours.

chow and chatter said...

wow this tart rocks
thanks or your kind words Zurin I love your blog and your pictures are first class and your right about self discovery I feel alive blogging been such a fun thing so pleased I started it

sorry I don't visit as often love ya

Rebecca

Percicilan said...

Aunty Zurin..
where can I get the black plastic(?) thing you use for these tarts? they look yummeyyyy.. err the tarts I mean!

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a lovely treat. I adore smoked salmon and your tarts look delicious, Zurin. Your photos are remarkable. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

Cherine said...

Gorgeous tarts! Love the flavors!

Rich said...

That lookth delithith! Thetereotypth can be tho fun!

Seriously, though, those look awesome.

Quinn said...

Zurin,

can you clarify this:

Bake blind for 1o minutes. Remove from oven and remove the beans/rice and then bake another 5 minutes until golden. Reduce oven temp to 180C.

For some reason, I have a feeling you blind bake the tart at a temperature higher than 180C but it is not where stated in the recipe.

Thanks, I am making this for a farewell party!

Zurin said...

Hi Quinn, Long time no hear! Glad to have you back :)

Thanks for pointing it out. Yes you preheat oven to 200C and then reduce to 180C after 10 mins. I have made teh correction in teh post. TQ a million :) I nyanyok alredi la ..LOL

Federica Simoni said...

le tue ricette sono sempre straordinarie!complimenti!

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