Shellfish tarts recipe

Mark Hix
·2 min read
Shellfish tarts
Both crab and lobster work well for the filling - Matt Austin

These individual tarts are rich but delicate, good for serving as a dinner party starter. It’s up to you what shellfish you use but crab meat, prawns and mussels work well, or you can push the boat out and add a bit of lobster meat if you wish. You can of course just use crab on its own, using a mixture of brown and white meat.

Timings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Serves

6 as a starter

Ingredients

  • A good knob of butter, plus extra for greasing

  • 2 x sheets ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry

  • 300g mussels, well rinsed

  • 100ml white wine

  • 2 large shallots, or ½ small leek, finely chopped

  • 2 tsp English mustard

  • 300ml double cream

  • 100g Cheddar or Parmesan, finely grated

  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

  • 150g white crab meat or other shredded shellfish meat

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.

  2. Lightly grease the tart tins. Unroll the pastry and cut out six circles 12-13cm in diameter (large enough to line a 10cm tart tin). Prick the circles all over with a fork then use them to line the six tins. Trim the edges.

  3. Line each case with a circle of greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Set them on a baking tray.

  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are colouring then remove from the oven. Allow to cool a little then remove the baking beans and paper and return the tarts to the oven for 5 minutes.

  5. Meanwhile, place the mussels in a saucepan with the white wine. Put a lid on and steam over a medium heat for a few minutes, until they have opened. Discard any that haven’t.

  6. Drain the mussels in a colander over a bowl to reserve the juices.

  7. Gently cook the shallot or leek in the butter for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the mustard then strain in the mussel juices through a fine meshed sieve. Simmer until there’s only a tablespoon of liquid left.

  8. Add the cream, bring to the boil and simmer until the sauce has reduced by two thirds and thickened, then stir in 40g of the cheese and season to taste.

  9. Remove the mussels from their shells and stir into the sauce along with the crab/shellfish meat and parsley.

  10. Turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Fill the tart cases with the mixture and scatter over the restof the cheese. Return to the oven for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is lightly coloured.

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