Sunday, September 11, 2011

Untitled Two

Believe it or not sometimes I have nothing to say.
Especially when I'm stressed or sad.
This, my dear friends, is one of those moments for I'm currently both of those above things.

Lucky for all of us Spring is well and truly on it's way and how can anyone feel blue when the sky is sparkling and the air is thick with flowers and warmth? So embrace my lack of annoying natter for now, cos this silence won't last long baaabyyy....


pastry1

Salmon and Watercress Tart with Olive Oil Pastry

For the olive oil pastry;
150g spelt flour
150g white flour
6 tablespoons olive oil
150ml cold water

For the filling;
2 medium sized salmon fillets
Bunch of watercress
4 spring onions
6 green tea bags
4 eggs
1/2 a cup of milk
2 teaspoons cornflour
Salt and pepper
A few tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
Plenty of salt and pepper

To make the pastry combine the flours, with a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add in the olive oil and rub together with your fingers until the mixture resembles a breadcrumb like texture. Slowly pour in the water and start to knead to combine the ingredients well. Roll into a ball, and set aside covered in a clean tea towel for at least 1 hour.

To blind bake the pastry case roll the pastry out until it is a few millimetres thin. Place into a well oiled round pastry flan tin and press into the tin. Gently prick the base with a fork. Grab a sheet of baking paper and place over the pastry and cover in baking beans or lentils and bake in a preheated 180 degree oven for about 15-20 mins. Take out and set aside.

For the filling, place the 2 fillets in a deep saucepan and cover completely with water. Add in the green tea bags and a generous heaving of sea salt. Place over a low heat and bring to a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes - before turning the heat off make sure the salmon is still softly pink inside so it won't overcook when baking. Strain the mixture and set the fillets aside.
Slice the spring onions up thinly and saute in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Scatter over the pre-cooked pastry base. Over this add the roughly chopped up watercress and lay chunks of the flaked salmon over the top. In a bowl combine the eggs, milk, cornflour and parmesan with a bit of salt and pepper and stir to combine (adding in a bit of lemon zest at this point is good too!). Place the tart on a baking tray and half fill with the egg mixture, place in the oven and then pour the rest of the egg over the top to help reduce benchtop to oven spillage... Bake in a moderate oven for about 20-25 minutes and serve warm with a simple salad. Light, healthy and delish.


salmontart2

salmontart

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