Nothing but an old tart

A tasty variation on a fish pie.

SMOKED HADDOCK FLAN
Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
9 oz (250g) short crust pastry
12 oz (350g) potato, peeled
12 oz (350g) smoked haddock
10 fl.oz (300 ml) milk
2 fl.oz (60ml) double cream
1 small bunch of spring onions, or 1 medium leek, chopped
2 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
1 oz (25g) butter
1 oz (25g) plain flour
½ tsp English mustard
freshly ground pepper
1 oz (25g ) cheddar cheese, grated

METHOD:
Roll out the pastry and use to line a 20.5 cm (8 inch) flan dish placed on a baking sheet. Bake blind in the oven at 200°C /400°F/GMk 6 for 10 -15 minutes until set.
Boil the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, then drain and mash. Set aside.
Place the fish in a saucepan with the milk, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Strain the milk and then return to a clean pan. Add the onions or leeks and simmer for 4-5 minutes until just tender. Remove the onions or leeks from the pan and set aside, reserving the milk for the sauce.
Remove skin and bones from the fish, flake the flesh and place in the bottom of the flan case.
Cover with the leeks and then the eggs.
Mix the milk and cream together and make back up to 10 fl.oz (300ml) with a little more milk or water if necessary.
Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook gently for 1 minute, stirring.
Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the reserved milk and cream.
Bring to the boil and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the mustard and check the seasoning.
Spoon the sauce into the flan case and give a little shake to get the sauce to spread through to the fish.
Carefully spread the potato across the top or, if you wish, it can be piped in a lattice design.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until brown. Serve hot.

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For an even richer variation, substitute 20ml of the sour cream for 2 oz of garlic and herb cream cheese

BACON, SOUR CREAM AND LEEK TART

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz (225g) plain flour
4 oz (115g) cold diced butter
4 oz (115g) trimmed smoked back bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz (225g) onions, finely sliced
4 oz (115g) leeks, finely sliced
1 whole egg, plus 1 egg yolk
200ml sour cream
1 ½ oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:
Place the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Rub the diced butter into the flour with your fingertips to form fine breadcrumbs. Add a little water and mix together until it forms a ball. Wrap in greaseproof paper and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 30cm circle. Loosely wrap it around the rolling pin and lay it over a 23cm flan dish. Gently press into the dish, then roll over the top of the dish so that the excess pastry drops off. Prick the bottom, then line with aluminium foil or greaseproof paper and weight with rice or baking beans.
Bake the pastry case blind for 15 minutes. Remove its covering and continue to bake for 5-10 minutes or until it loses that sweaty look.
Meanwhile, dice the bacon and fry in the olive oil until it begins to colour. Reduce the heat, add the onions and leeks and then fry them gently until soft. Allow to cool slightly.
Whisk together the eggs, sour cream and 1/3 rd of the parmesan. Mix into the bacon mixture and tip into the pastry case. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and return to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and slightly risen.

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You can use fresh or tinned salmon for this pie. If using fresh why not cook the salmon in milk and then use the milk to make the béchamel sauce? It does make a lot of filling so if there's any left over try it on toast for a snack.
My recipe for rich short crust pastry makes 9 oz, to make 12 oz use 8oz flour, 4 oz butter and a large egg yolk.
The other thing to remember is that this isn't a quiche but an open topped pie. When served hot the filling doesn't set but is moist and slightly runny, depending on how thick you make your béchamel sauce.

GRATIN AUX FRUITS DE MER
Seafood tart

Serves 4-6

INGEDIENTS:
12 oz (350g) rich short crust pastry
1 oz (25g) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 oz (112g) small button mushrooms, halved
15 fl.oz (443ml) thick béchamel sauce
5 fl.oz (148ml) double cream
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp grated nutmeg
¼ tsp dried oregano
2 tsp lemon juice
8 oz (225g) cooked or canned and drained salmon, flaked
8 oz (225g) cooked white fish, skinned, boned and flaked
8 oz (225g) prawns or shrimps, shelled
4 oz (112g) cheddar cheese, grated

METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/GMk5.
Line a 10 inch (25cm) pie dish with the pastry.
Bake the pastry blind by lining with grease proof paper and weighing down with dried peas or beans. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove the paper and peas or beans and bake for a further 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft but not brown.
Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Remove from the pan and set aside.
Combine the béchamel sauce, cream, cayenne, salt, pepper, nutmeg, oregano and lemon juice together. Stir in the onion, mushrooms and fish and combine thoroughly.
Pour the filing into the pastry case and top with the cheese.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes until thoroughly heated through and the top is golden. Serve hot or cold.

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