Smoked Salmon Tart For A Crowd 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.

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 TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Brush pastry with egg white and bake for 5 minutes; let cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Distribute salmon over bottom of pastry and sprinkle with cheese.
• Beat all remaining ingredients together except garnish and pour over cheese.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until top is golden, about 15 minutes.
• Garnish with caviar, if desired, and serve.

MUSHROOM & SMOKED SALMON TARTS

Steps:

• Unroll crusts into two 9-in. fluted tart pans with removable bottoms; trim edges. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°., Line unpricked crusts with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack until edges are golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake until bottoms are golden brown, 2-4 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 375°., In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan. Add butter and mushrooms; cook and stir until mushrooms are tender, 6-8 minutes. Cool slightly., Place tart pans on separate baking sheets. Divide onion and mushrooms between crusts; top with salmon and cheese. In a bowl, whisk 4 eggs, 2 teaspoons capers and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; if desired, stir in 1 teaspoon dill. Pour over 1 of the tarts. Repeat with remaining ingredients for second tart., Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.