Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Tart

Ingredients

• 225g (8oz) plain flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 85g (3 ½oz) TREX
• Filling:
• 15g (½oz) TREX
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 100g (4oz) asparagus spears, sliced
• 75g (3oz) smoked salmon, snipped into pieces
• 2 eggs
• 100g (4oz) low fat soft cheese
• 150ml (¼ pint) milk
• 2 tsp chopped fresh dill or parsley
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and rub in the TREX with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add 3-4 tbsp chilled water and mix it in with a round-bladed knife until the pastry clings together. Use your hand to form the dough into a ball. Wrap and chill for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/Gas Mark 6.

3. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 23cm (9in) flan ring or flan dish. Line with a piece of crumpled foil or greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake ‘blind’ (i.e. without a filling) for 15 minutes.

4. Take the flan from the oven and remove the foil or paper and baking beans. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/Gas Mark 4.

5. To make the filling, heat the TREX in a frying pan and fry the spring onions for 3-4 minutes until soft. Cool, then scatter over the base of the flan with the asparagus and smoked salmon.

6. Beat together the eggs and soft cheese until smooth, then mix in the milk and herbs. Season. Pour into the flan case, then bake for 30-35 minutes, until set.