Smoked Trout, Watercress and Horseradish Quiche
A delicious quiche recipe for al fresco entertaining or a picnic in the park. The smoked trout harmonises beautifully with peppery watercress and horseradish.
Introduction
Tarts are great for a picnic, especially if you transport them in the tin so they are robustly packaged. I usually make my own pastry for quiches but, of course, the ready-made stuff is perfectly acceptable too, especially if you buy all-butter pastry. About half a 500g pack is what you’ll need to line the tin.
Ingredients
| For the pastry: | |
| 180g | plain flour, plus extra for dusting |
| A pinch | of fine sea salt |
| 90g | cold butter, diced |
| 3-4 tbsp | ice-cold water |
| For the filling: | |
| 1 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 | onion, finely chopped |
| 1 x 110g bag | watercress, roughly chopped |
| 2 tbsp | horseradish sauce |
| 2 | skinless smoked trout fillets (about 125g in total), roughly flaked |
| 3 | eggs |
| 250g | crème fraîche |
| Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper |
Essential kit
You will need a 25cm loose-based tart tin and a food processor.
Method
To make the pastry, put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse together until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Trickle in the water, continuing to pulse, until the pastry just starts to clump together (don’t overprocess or the pastry can become tough). Tip on to a sheet of cling film and gently press into a ball. Wrap tightly and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently sweat the onion until soft, about 15-20 minutes. Add the watercress and let it wilt for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured worktop to about 3-4mm thick and use it to line a 25cm loose-based tart tin (trying not to stretch it too much), then swiftly roll the rolling pin over the top of the tin, cutting off the excess pastry. Line with non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes to dry out.
Spread the horseradish sauce over the base of the cooked pastry case, then spoon in the watercress mixture. Scatter the trout over the top. In a jug, beat together the eggs and crème fraîche and season well with salt and black pepper, before gently pouring over the filling. Return to the oven to cook for about 20 minutes until set. Leave to cool completely before wrapping ready for your picnic basket.
