This is a delicious flan with poppy seed crust, where the watercress adds a peppery flavour to the rich flesh of the salmon. Perfect for a summer picnic.
The recipe is adapted from The Great British Book of Baking.
Ingredients:
For the rich shortcrust pastry:
1 tbsp poppy seeds
225 g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
150 g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
2-3 tbsp ice-cold water, to bind
some egg white, for brushing
For the filling:
400 g salmon fillets
4 tbsp white wine
25 g unsalted butter
100 g watercress sprigs
3 medium eggs
300 ml double cream
a pinch of nutmeg
season to taste
Method:
To make the pastry, put the poppy seeds into a small dry frying pan and stir over a low heat for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, tip into a small bowl and leave to cool.
Put the flour, salt and cold poppy seeds into a bowl, mix with a fork to combine. Add the butter and work with the pastry blades (or regular knife) until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together to make soft but not sticky dough.
Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a circle about 29 cm across and use to line a 23-24 cm deep flan tin, making sure the rim of the pastry stands slightly above the tin (you can crimp is slightly with your fingers). Prick the base well with a fork.
Chill the pastry for 20 minutes while heating the oven to 190 C (fan 170 C).
Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, fill with baking beans and bake "blind" for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans, reduce the temperature to 180 C (fan 160 C) and bake the empty pastry case for a further 5 minutes. Lightly brush the base of the pastry with egg white and return it to the oven for 1 minute.
Remove from the oven and put a baking tray to heat.
Meanwhile, cook the fish: melt the butter in a pan, put the salmon fillet and pour over the wine. Bring to the boil, then cover tightly and leave the fish to cook over a low heat in the steam of the wine for 12-15 minutes, until the flesh just flakes.
Remove and leave to cool, then flake the fish, discarding the skins (if any) but saving the cooking liquid.
Roughly chop the watercress and add to the pan with the fish cooking liquid, stirring over medium heat until the watercress wilts and the liquid evaporates.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Beat the eggs with cream in a jug and season with little salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.
When ready to assemble, put the flaked fish into the pastry case. Scatter the watercress mixture on top.
Then set the flan tin on the heated baking tray. Pour the egg mixture into the pastry case and carefully put into the hot oven.
Bake at 190 C (170 C fan) until just golden, slightly puffed and just set - about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven, stand for 10 minutes, then carefully unmold.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Bon Appetit!
