Hot smoked trout, broad bean & pea shoot tart

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 150g cold butter, diced
• 1 medium egg yolk, beaten
• 1 orange
• 400g broad beans
• 300g hot smoked trout fillets
• 2 eggs plus 2 yolks 
• 200ml double cream
• 100ml whole milk
• 1½ tbsp freshly grated horseradish
• 4 dill sprigs
• A handful of pea shoots

Method

For the pastry case, put the flour into a mixing bowl then use your fingers to rub in the butter until it feels like breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg yolk, a pinch of salt, the zest from the orange and bring together into a smooth dough. You might need to add a little cold water to help it come together, but add as little as you can get away with. Shape into a disc and chill for 30 mins.

Roll out the pastry between two pieces of greaseproof paper, until about the thickness of a pound coin and large enough for lining a 23cm tart tin. Carefully lift one edge of the pastry over the rolling pin and use that to lift it onto the tart tin. Treat the pastry gently as you smooth it inside the case. Let the pastry overhang, as it will shrink as it cooks. Put the tin into the fridge for 30 mins.

Heat the oven to 190C. Prick the chilled pastry base with a fork in several places. Line it with baking paper, fill with baking beans (or rice) and put into the oven for 15 mins. Remove the beans / rice and the paper, then return the tin to the oven for a further 5 mins. Sit the tin on a wire rack to cool and trim the pastry edges.

To make the tart, heat the oven to 180C, with a tray inside that the tart tin can sit on. Pop the broad beans out of their pods. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and simmer the broad beans for 3 mins until just about tender. Drain, refresh in cold water, and remove the broad bean skins to release the bright green jewels of double-podded broad beans.

Whisk together the eggs, yolks, cream and milk. Season and stir in the horseradish.

Flake the trout into the pastry case, layering up with the broad beans and the dill leaves. Pour over the egg/dairy mix. Just as it gets nearly full, put the tart onto the preheated tray from the oven, pour over the last of the egg / dairy mix and then lift the tart into the oven. Bake for 40 mins until just about set, turning it partway through if cooking at all unevenly.

Lift the tart onto a wire rack. Scatter over about half of the pea shoots so they can wilt in the heat of the tart, but don’t try to take it out of its tin for about 30 mins. Serve with more pea shoots for a perky garnish.

Image: Kim Lightbody