Mackerel leek asparagus tart
I LOOOOOVE this mackerel, leek and asparagus tart recipe that I found in a Pugliese recipe book on holiday – it cost just €4.90 but it was worth every penny! Anyway, before we start I’ll tell you how I got round to cooking this. . . .
The last few months have taught me the importance of a balanced and healthy diet, recently I had been feeling a little crappy from over indulging and a lack of regular exercise. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and do something about it!
Recently there has been a lot of chat and books written on clean eating, so I was considering going down this path. However, the thought of buying a spiraliser and entering the world of ‘courgetti’ made me feel a little miserable (I really dislike the idea of people calling it pasta, just on the simple basis that…… it’s not!). Being such a lover of Italian food I knew it would be a real struggle, but on the other hand though, I do believe in ‘a little bit in moderation’ – so I gave myself a challenge.
As some of you know I love PIG in all shapes and sizes, my friends will tell you that I’m always banging on about pork belly, pancetta and sausages! You’ll see from my blog that I cook with it regularly, so I decided to replace pork with fish and seafood then went on the hunt for an eclectic array of fish dishes from all over Italy. This is how I came to find this LUSH mackerel, leek and asparagus tart recipe.
I have been feeling much better and really enjoyed the challenge at the same time. There will be so many more fish recipes to share, so keep a look out. In the meantime, you’ll love this one – It’s one of my new faves.
Mackerel, leeks & asparugus Tart
Ingredients (4 people)
500g Short crust pastry (ready made)
400g mackerel
100g Asparagus
Olive oil
1 leek
1/2 glass of White wine
120ml milk
200ml Panna (cooking cream)
1 egg
100g pecorino
Salt & Pepper
Take the pastry out the fridge and allow to rest for 45 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface to about 1 cm thickness so that it fits a flan tin 24-26 cm wide.
Wash the leek, and slice very finely
In a pan, add oil and the leek, season with salt and fry for 5 minutes on a low heat.
Add the makerel chopped into chunks, add the white wine and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Beat an egg in a bowl, add the milk, cream, pecorino cheese and season with salt & pepper.
Butter a flan tin, lay the short crust pastry and make sure it fits snug in the tin.
Fill the pastry with leak & mackerel filling and then pour the cream mixture on top.
Lay the asparagus tips on top of the tart
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes at 180c.
Serve warm
