Smoked Salmon, Leek and Tomato Tartlets

- I feel like smoked salmon, I said to my husband as the ideas for salmon dishes were appearing one by one in my head: Norwegian Soup, pasta with salmon and capers, smoked salmon and lemon risotto, a few tasty tarts and tartlets recipes... We opted for the last one. I started with a recipe for smoked salmon tartlets from Sarah Branbery’s book Tarty i tartalrtki (Tarts and tartlets). I replaced half of the salmon with leek and tomatoes and used duck egg yolks in the place of chicken one - they’re larger and have milder flavor.

We ate the tartlets for dinner topped with a splash of sour cream and fresh dill and lots of green lettuce on the side. They were delicious. Delicate flesh of salmon and pieces of vegetables covered with creamy yolk and crème fraîche mixture simply melt in your mouth. They actually taste a lot like a quiche, but since there are no whole eggs in the recipe (just egg yolks), I guess “tartlet” is probably more proper name here, is it?

Since quiche is one of my husband’s favorite dishes I couldn’t wait to hear if he liked them. When, after his first bite, he put his fork and knife away, I was sure he didn’t enjoy them as much as I did. I wouldn’t be surprised. All in all, he has been eating quiches for all his life and this was my first quiche-like recipe.

-And? How do they taste?, I asked with curiosity

After a long while of silence, I was relieved to hear an answer:

- They’re similar to quiche, but... better. Honestly, it’s the best quiche I’ve ever had in my life.

Then he said something more, but since I’ve promised I wouldn’t write it here, I cannot tell you ;-)

Bon appétit!!!

Choose large egg yolks for this recipe. I used egg yolks of duck eggs, but chicken egg yolks will work just as fine.

Smoked Salmon, Leek and Tomato Tartlets

Makes 6

FOR THE CRUST:
125 g all purpose flour, sifted
pinch of salt
75 g cold butter, cut into pieces
2-3 tbsp iced water (place the water for a few minutes in the freezer before using)

FOR THE FILLING:
120 ml ( ½ cup) crème fraîche
1 teaspoon horseradish
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon capers
salt and pepper
½ leek (white part only)
1 tbs olive oil
1 large tomato or 4-5 cherry tomatoes
100 g smoked salmon
dill, chopped

TO PREPARE THE CRUST:
1. Grease the tartlets pans with butter.
2. Place the flour, salt and butter in a food processor. Process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. While the motor is running, add water spoon by spoon to form smooth dough. Knead the dough lightly.
3. Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface. Line up the tartlets pans.
4. Place a piece of parchment paper over each tartlet and fill with baking weights or uncooked peas or beans. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C )
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, remove from the oven, remove the parchment paper and weights and set aside.

TO PREPARE THE FILLING:
1. Slice the leek. In a frying pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil, cook the leek until tender but not brown.
2. Peel and seed the tomato. Cut into small cubes and drain on a paper towel.
3. Cut the salmon into small pieces.
4. In a bowl combine crème fraîche, horseradish and capers. Season with ½ teaspoon lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add egg yolks and stir to combine.
5. In a separate bowl combine pieces of salmon, leek and tomatoes. Gently combine the two mixtures together.
6. Spoon into pre-baked pastry. Bake for 15 minutes. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding. Serve.

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Recipe in Polish:
Tartaletki z wędzonym łososiem, porem i pomidorami

Poppy Seed Tartlets with Cherry Tomatoes

This is one of my favorite tartlet recipes. What is special about them, is the addition of poppy seeds to the crust. The poppy seeds give the tartlets incredible flavor, which goes perfectly with the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes. Besides, baked in muffins pans, these tartlets look absolutely adorable!!! The recipe has been adapted from Sarah Banbery's “Tarts” cookbook.

Notes to the recipe : The original recipe called for cheddar cheese. I used Edam cheese in place of cheddar as it’s easier to obtain in Poland. Use what’s more convenient for you. You can also use cream cheese or quark instead of ricotta cheese in this recipe.

Poppy Seed Tartlets with Cherry Tomatoes

For the crust:
225 g all purpose flour
pinch of salt
100 g cold butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2-3 tbsp iced water

For the filling:
24 cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
25 g butter
25 g all purpose flour
270 ml milk
salt
pepper
50 g cheddar cheese, grated
100 g ricotta cheese
fresh basil leaves

1. Grease 12 muffin cups.
   
2. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.
   
3. Add the butter and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly.
4. Add poppy seeds, iced water and form a dough ball.
5. Roll out the pastry on lightly floured surface and cut out twelve circles ( 5 inches each).
6. Transfer to muffin pan, pressing down gently.
7. Cover with parchment paper and fill with a layer of dried beans.
8. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before baking.
9. Preheat the oven to 390 F (200 C).
10. Remove the tartlets from the fridge and bake for 10 minutes.
11. Take out of the oven, remove the beans and parchment paper and set aside.
12. Place the tomatoes on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 5 minutes.
13. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the flour and stir until combined.
    
14. Add milk, little by little, stirring thoroughly to avoid lumps.
    
15. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.
    
16. Season with salt and pepper.
17. Add the cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
18. Stir in ricotta cheese.
19. Place two cherry tomatoes into each tartlet. Top with 1-2 tbsp béchamel sauce. Bake for 15 minutes.
20. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.

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Przepis po polsku:
Makowe tartaletki z pomidorkami koktajlowymi