Smoked Haddock and Spinach Tart

The sun is shining and we're firing up the BBQ this evening and cooking spatchcock chicken.  I posted that recipe a while ago so thought I should post something from my pile of recipes torn out of magazines.  This came from Olive magazine last summer.  It is lovely on a summer's day and something my dog walking friend Debbie (a lady who lunches) would serve to her friends, no doubt with a glass of chilled Pinot Grigio. 

Ingredients – serves 4

Smoked haddock 250g

Spinach 200g

Double cream 5 tbsp

Gruyère cheese 50g, grated

Egg 1 large, beaten

Ready-rolled puff pastry 1 sheet

Watercress salad to serve.

Method

Heat a large frying pan of water until boiling. Add the haddock, cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Leave for 10 minutes.

Wilt the spinach by putting it in a colander and pouring a full kettle of boiling water over it. Let it cool and then squeeze out all the excess water – don’t skimp on this step otherwise your tart will become soggy. Nobody likes a soggy tart.  Chop the spinach.

Heat the oven to 200C. Whisk the cream, cheese and egg in a bowl. Remove the skin and any bones from the haddock and flake it into the mix. Now stir in the spinach.

Unroll the puff pastry and score a border 2cm in from the edge. Place the pastry on a baking sheet and prick using a fork inside the border. Bake for 10 minutes. Gently push the middle down as it will have puffed up. Spoon over the haddock mix then put back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until golden. Serve with a watercress salad.