Cooking... with Martha Legg

Summer Salmon Tart

At school, as I have said before, we had home economics classes.

One of them, was teaching us how to make puff pastry. Well, what a waste of an hour that was and one I will never get back! All that rolling and putting bits of butter on, and rolling again, only for the pastry to turn out completely flat when you cooked it! I think that’s when I decided that I would never be a pastry chef, I just don’t have the patience! Also, what is the point of puff pastry?

One bite and it disintegrates all over the plate and all you are left with is the filling!!

So, imagine my relief, several years later, when I discovered that not only could you buy ready-made puff pastry, but that the top chefs also seem to use it! Result!

So, I now cheat!

This salmon tart is a recipe that I found and it is really versatile. You can make it as a starter, by cutting the pastry out in rounds or square and serve it with a small amount of salad. It can be taken on a picnic in a cool box or you can serve it up with a summer salad for lunch or dinner. I am not sure why I put peas in it, I think it’s firstly to make it look colourful and also to add a healthy element to the pastry and cream cheese! It’s quick and easy to make and will keep in the fridge for several days.

Ingredients

1 Pk of ready-rolled puff pastry (or, if you feel like it you can make your own, but my recipe for that got ditched at the end of school!)

Smoked salmon, you can use a big pack and pull it apart or you can use smoked salmon trimmings.

1 Tub cream cheese

Small bowl of frozen peas.

Method

Line a baking tray with baking parchment or grease proof paper If you are using ready-rolled pasty then unroll in and place it on the tray.

Turn the edges over a little bit to make a small ridge. Then prick the pastry all over.

Put in the oven at 200C and cook until the pastry is just brown.

Take out of the over and leave to cool for a little bit.

When cool, spread the pastry evenly with the cream cheese. Evenly put on the smoked salmon and peas, pushing them slightly into the cream cheese. Put back in the oven at 200C and cook until the top goes a very light brown.

Leave to cool and then cut and serve with a salad or new potatoes.