Crab Tart
Since May and
June are the best months for fresh crab and they now come
ready dressed,
the following recipe is an absolute doddle to make. So since a serious cheat
should always have at least two or three ready-to-go pastry
cases tucked away in the freezer, you can be quite last minute about it.
And there’s more. If you don’t have any crème fraiche handy, the tart can be made with 6 floz / 170ml of milk or, and you might
not believe this, 6 floz / 170ml of evaporated milk which can
always be to hand on the larder shelf. Let me also add that in the winter the
tart can be made with tinned crab provided the brine is
drained off and the crabmeat
squeezed dry. So all in all, an excellent cheat.
Serves : 4
Ingredients:
2 Large Eggs
1 x 230g Pastry Flan Case
1 Medium-Sized Fresh Dressed Crab
1 tbsp Dry
Sherry
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 x 200ml Tub Crème
Fraîche
2 Rounded
tbsp Ready-Grated Parmesan
Salt and Freshly
Milled Black Pepper
Instructions:
1.
Pre-heat
the oven to Gas Mark 6 / 400ºF / 200ºC.
2.
All you do
is first beat up the eggs
in a mixing bowl then paint the flan
case with a little of the beaten egg.
3.
Prick the
base with a fork and place the flan
case in its foil container on to a baking sheet and then pop it into the
oven centre shelf for about 20 minutes or until it’s crisp and golden.
4.
Meanwhile,
remove the crabmeat
from the shell.
5.
Now
combine the eggs, crabmeat, sherry, cayenne, crème fraiche and 1½ tablespoons of the parmesan.
6.
Add some salt and freshly milled black pepper and mix
thoroughly.
7.
Now remove
the cooked pastry
shell from the oven and reduce the heat to Gas Mark 4 / 350°F / 180°C.
8.
Pour half
the crab mixture into
the pastry
case and place it back in the oven, on an oven shelf which is half pulled
out.
9.
Pour in
the rest of the mixture, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and gently
slide the shelf back in place and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden,
puffy and just set in the centre.
10.
Then allow
the tart to settle for about 10 minutes before serving.
1.
I think
this is lovely served with a green salad with lots of watercress.
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