Smoked Salmon Dill Onion Tart Food

SMOKED SALMON TART FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Make the pastry: Put flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly, then add butter all at once and whir until mixture resembles wet sand. Add egg and continue just until dough comes together. (Alternatively, cut butter into dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix by hand.) Knead dough lightly on counter-top, then divide into four pieces and form each into a ball. Wrap with plastic film and flatten to 1-inch-thick disks. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Make the horseradish cream: Mix together crème fraîche, horseradish, mustard and lemon zest. Season generously with salt and pepper, then keep cool. (If cream firms upon standing, beat with a fork.)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put onion in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil and mix to coat. Roll out each piece of dough to an 8-inch-diameter circle. Place the pastry disks on parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle onion slices over each round.
• Bake tart rounds for 6 to 7 minutes, until pastry is lightly browned and puffed, and onions are starting to brown. (Turn pans halfway through for even browning.) Let cool for a minute or two.
• Put pastry on a cutting board. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges. Spoon some horseradish cream onto each wedge. Tear salmon slices into wide ribbons and lay them over the cream. (Use 1 ounce salmon per tart.) Top each wedge with a tiny spoonful of roe, if using, and sprinkle with chives and tarragon. Serve directly from the board.

CREAMY SMOKED SALMON AND DILL TART

Steps:

• Generously butter 9 1/2-inch-diameter deep -dish pie plate. Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface (cover remaining pieces with plastic wrap, then with clean damp towel.) Brush phyllo sheet with butter and fold in half lengthwise. Brush folded surface with butter. Cut in half crosswise. Place 1 phyllo rectangle, buttered side down, in prepared pie plate, covering bottom and letting pastry overhang 1 section of edge by 1/2 inch. Brush top of phyllo in pie plate with butter. Place second phyllo rectangle in pie plate, covering bottom and letting pastry overhang another section of edge by 1/2 inch; brush with butter. Repeat process with remaining 4 phyllo sheets, making certain entire surface of edge is covered to form crust. Fold overhang under to form crust edge flush with edge of pie plate. Brush crust edges with butter. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk yolks and mustard in medium bowl to blend. Beat in eggs, half and half, cream, salmon, onions and chopped dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into prepared crust. Bake until center is set, about 50 minutes. Transfer to rack. Cool Garnish with dill sprigs and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

SMOKED SALMON, DILL & ONION TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. On a floured board, roll out the pastry to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Press into a 20cm tart tin with a removable bottom. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 20-25 mins until the sides of the pastry turns golden brown. Remove the baking beans and greaseproof paper and prick all over the base and sides of the pastry with a fork. Put the tart shell back into the oven for another 10 mins until the base is cooked and the pastry is biscuity brown all over. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
• In a saucepan, cook the onions in the olive oil for 5 mins until soft. Season with salt and pepper if you like, and set aside to cool. Stir together the lemon juice and crème fraîche, and then set aside.
• Assemble the tart: spread the onion over the base and arrange the smoked salmon pieces on top. Sprinkle over the capers, dill and lemon zest. Keep the tart in its tin, cover with cling film or foil and refrigerate until serving, drizzled with crème fraîche.

SMOKED SALMON AND HERB PUFF PASTRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Lightly flour a work surface and gently unfold the puff pastry dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Score a 1-inch border along all four sides with a sharp knife then prick the area inside the border all over with a fork. This allows steam to release and a rim to rise around the tart.
• Transfer the puff pastry to the prepared baking sheet and bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown and puffy, about 18 minutes total. Remove the pastry from the baking sheet and allow it to cool on a cutting board or wire rack for 10 minutes. (see Cook's Note)
• While the pastry is baking, whip the cream cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Fold in the capers, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons chopped dill and 2 tablespoons chopped chives and set aside.
• Just before serving, evenly spread the cream cheese filling over the baked pastry with an offset spatula, leaving the 1-inch border exposed. Arrange the smoked salmon and cucumber on top and sprinkle the tart with the dill fronds, remaining 1 tablespoon chives and some black pepper.

SALMON, DILL & POTATO TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Roll out the pastry and line a shallow 28cm flan tin. Trim off the edges, then line with baking paper and beans. Put on a baking sheet, bake for 10 mins. Remove the paper and beans, then bake for 5 mins more.
• Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 6-8 mins until tender, then drain. Beat together the cream, eggs, dill, lime zest, salt and pepper. Scatter half the potatoes over the bottom of the pastry case, then put half the salmon strips in the gaps. Pour over half the egg mix, then arrange the remaining potatoes over the salmon pieces and put the remaining salmon in the gaps between. Pour over the rest of the egg mix.
• Bake for 25 mins until the top is lightly coloured and firm to the touch. Cool for 10 mins before removing from the tin, then serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled with extra dill.