Smoked Haddock and Watercress Tart

From Pies and Puds in Paul Hollywood’s books

Black Pepper Pastry
200g plain flour
Pinch of salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
50g cold unsalted butter cut into a 1 cm dice
50g cold lard cut into a 1 cm dice
3 - 5 tbsp very cold water

Filling
250g smoked haddock fillet
200ml whole milk
1 bay leaf
25g unsalted butter
25g plain flour
2 medium eggs - beaten
30g water cress- stalks removed
25g fine white bread crumbs
25g finely grated parmesan
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Tin
36 x 12cm loose based tart tin or a 23cm round tart tin

Method

Make the pastry either by hand or using a food processor. By hand, add the salt and pepper to the flour and then rub the butter and lard into the flour mixture with your finger tips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add 3 tbsp of water to the flour mix, and using a table knife, mix the flour and water together, mix until the pastry starts to form large clumps, you may need a little more water. Once the pastry starts to clump together then remove from the bowl and knead gently into a ball. Wrap with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

By food processor - put the flour, salt, pepper, lard and butter into the bowl of the processor, fitted with the sharp blade. Mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then add 3 tbsp of water, and pulse for a few seconds until you have clumps of pastry, you may need to add a little extra water. Once the pastry starts to clump remove form the bowl and treat as above.

Heat your oven to 200 deg C / Gas 6. Roll out the pastry to fit your tin, line the tin with the pastry leaving the excess hanging over the edges. Keep a small amount of dough incase you need to patch any cracks later. Prick the pastry base with a fork and then line the pastry with foil / baking parchment and fill with baking beans / uncooked rice or lentils.

Bake the case blind for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans, return the pastry to the over for another 8 minutes or until it looks dry and faintly coloured. Trim the excess pastry from the edge and use your spare bit of dough to patch any cracks or holes if necessary.

Put the fish into a pan (I use a non-stick frying pan), pour over the milk and add the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and then turn the fish over and simmer gently for a couple of minutes until the fish is just cooked. Lift the fish out and set aside, discard the bay leaf and put the milk into a jug.

In the same pan melt the butter over a low heat and stir in the flour. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 minutes. Then take the pan off the heat. Gradually beat in the milk until you have a smooth sauce. Return the pan to a very low heat and cook very gently until the sauce thickens, this will take about 3 to 4 minutes. Keep stirring and make sure none of the sauce catches on the pan. When your spoon leaves a gap in the sauce as you stir then that is about right. Let the sauce cool for a couple of minutes.

Mix together the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and the parmesan. Flake the fish into bitesize chunks and put into the pastry case, add the watercress. Mix the beaten eggs into the sauce along with the spring onions and then pour this over the filling. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top and bake for 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Let it cool slightly before serving warm, or allow to cool completely and serve cold.