Smoked haddock, leek and mustard tart | Lawrence Murphy

You know the sort of thing I mean, if I said roast beef, most people would think of horseradish.

Lamb would be rosemary. Strawberries, cream.

These combinations bring out the best in each other.

As cooks we like to experiment a little with the flavours, so the horseradish might be changed to wasabi, turnip, or mustard, but the existing combination is there.

We then also have memories associated with these food combinations, many coming from our childhood, and some from dinners with friends at their houses, or in great restaurants.

So for me food is not just fuel.

If I start to think about smoked haddock, my immediate thoughts are of grain mustard and poached eggs, a relaxed lunch, friends, laughter, and summer.

I’ve tried to combine all of that into this tart which makes a great starter or light lunch to eat with friends.

Ingredients

Pastry case

160g plain flour

20g corn flour

80g butter

1 egg

Pinch salt

10ml water

Filling

150g natural smoked haddock

1 leek, chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

Tablespoon grain mustard

200ml double cream

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

Method

1. Make the pastry – combine the flour and corn flour and rub in the butter until you have what resembles fine bread crumbs.

2. Mix in the salt, egg, and water to form a dough. Let the dough rest for 20 mins in the fridge.

3. Roll out the pastry to 2mm thickness and line a 22cm shallow ring with the pastry. Rest again for 15 mins.

4. Bake the pastry case blind in a preheated oven 185C gas 5 for 18 to 20 mins until golden. Allow to cool.

5. For the filling, gently cook the shallots in a little butter until translucent.

7. Stir in the leek, cook for 1 min, add the mustard, stir, and turn off the heat.

8. Chop the haddock into small cubes and put in a bowl. Mix in the mustard and onions and then fill the pastry case with this mixture.

9. Whisk the eggs, yolk and cream together, season with pepper and pour into the tart.

10. Bake in a preheated oven 150C gas 3 for 30 mins. Serve warm.

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