If you should ever find yourself with extra smoked salmon on your hands or if you’re looking for a new and delicious dish to use up the pack that’s in your fridge, you’ve come to the right place. I usually pair smoked salmon with scrambled eggs or on top of a slice of toast slathered with cream cheese, for breakfast. This time however, I wanted to serve it as an entrée for dinner and this is how the idea of a smoked salmon tart started in my mind.

This tart is quite light and fresh, since there is no cooked filling, as you would usually find in savoury tarts. It is also every bit as good as it is easy to make. Sure, the shortcrust will take a little bit of time to make, but it truly is worth it. The rest is a breeze to prepare, the only thing that needs cooking are the shallots, that take about five minutes of sweating over low heat. Apart from that, all you will have to do is to partly assemble it, refrigerate it and just before serving, to drizzle with crème fraîche and chopped dill. And then, you can enjoy it, perhaps with a nice arugula side salad.

Smoked Salmon Tart

For the Shortcrust:

225g/2 cups plain flour

A pinch of salt

115g/1 stick unsalted butter, cubed and refrigerated

4 Tbsp ice cold water

Egg wash made by whisking one egg yolk with 1 Tblsp heavy cream or milk

Chill the mixing bowl of your stand mixer and the correct pastry attachment in the fridge for 30 minutes. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, add the butter, cover with a plate and transfer to the freezer for 10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 180C/350F, fan-forced. Transfer the flour, salt and butter to your stand mixer (or food processor) and mix it until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water in a slow and steady stream until the dough comes together. If you’re not using it immediately, shape into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and store in the fridge for up to three days.

Roll out pastry to 5mm/0.2in and place in a tart tin, preferably one with a removable bottom. Line the dough, weigh down with beans and blind bake on a baking tray for 15-20 minutes. Remove the beans, prick the base with a fork and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush all over with a thin layer of egg wash and return to the oven for 2 minutes to seal. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling

1 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil

Two shallots, thinly sliced

A little salt and pepper

200g/8 oz. smoked salmon strips

1 lemon, zested and 2 Tblsp juice

200g/5 Tblsp crème fraîche (feel free to substitute with fat sour cream)

A small handful of capers, drained

Half a small bunch of dill, chopped

In a small saucepan set over low heat, cook the shallots in the olive oil, until sweaty and soft. Season with a little salt and pepper and leave to cool. In a bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the lemon juice and reserve in the fridge until serving the tart. To assemble the tart, spread the shallots on the bottom of the tart, place the strips of salmon and distribute the capers and the lemon zest as evenly as you can. Right before serving, drizzle with the lemony crème fraîche and top with chopped dill. Bon appétit!