Mussel and sea spinach tart with saffron mayonnaise and a blood orange and watercress salad
Sea spinach, with its earthy flavour and robust texture, makes a delicious addition to this seafood tart
Nigel Wright, head chef of Saveur Restaurant in Exmouth, shares his mussel and sea spinach tart recipe
saveursrestaurant.com
Serves 6
Oven temp 220°c / gas 7
For the pastry
- Salt ½ tsp
- Plain flour 225g
- Lard 65g, chilled, cut into small pieces
- Butter 65g, chilled, cut into small pieces
- Cold water 1 or 2 tbsp
- Egg wash 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk
For the saffron mayonnaise
- Saffron ½ tsp
- Mayonnaise 60g
- Lemon juice 1 tsp
- Dijon mustard ½ tsp
For the filling
- Eggs 6
- Tarragon 1 tbsp, chopped
- Chives 2 tbsp, chopped
- Double cream 600ml
- Salt and pepper
- Sea spinach or baby spinach 80g, blanched and drained
- Mussels 300g, picked
- Quicke’s Devonshire Red cheese 240g, grated
For the salad
- Watercress 1 bunch
- Blood oranges 2, segmented and lightly chopped (reserve 30ml of juice for dressing)
- Pumpkin seeds 20g, toasted
- Sugar a pinch
- Extra virgin rapeseed oil 30ml
- For the pastry: sieve the salt and flour into a large mixing bowl or food processor. Add the lard and butter and work together until the mixture has the consistency of fi ne breadcrumbs.
- Using a palette knife, gradually stir in the water until the mixture comes together into a ball. Place the ball on a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 220°c / gas 7. Roll out the pastry and use to line 6 lightly greased flan tins or 1 large flan tin. Chill for 30 minutes then line the pastry cases with baking paper and baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the paper and beans and brush each case with egg wash and bake for a further 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 160°c / gas 3.
- For the saffron mayonnaise: soak the saffron in a teaspoon of hot water for 5 minutes. Allow the water to cool, then whisk it into the rest of the ingredients. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
- For the filling: in a bowl, lightly beat the eggs, herbs and cream. Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the sea spinach (thoroughly squeezed to remove excess water), mussels and cheese evenly in the bottom of the tart cases.
- Pour the egg mixture into the cases, ensuring even distribution of herbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set and the pastry is golden brown (allow an extra 5-10 minutes if making 1 large tart).
- For the salad: place the watercress, blood orange and pumpkin seeds in a bowl. Mix the blood orange juice, sugar and oil vigorously in a jar and then dress the salad with the mixture.
- Serve the tarts warm with the dressed salad and saffron mayonnaise.
You will need
For the pastry
- Salt ½ tsp
- Plain flour 225g
- Lard 65g, chilled, cut into small pieces
- Butter 65g, chilled, cut into small pieces
- Cold water 1 or 2 tbsp
- Egg wash 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk
For the saffron mayonnaise
- Saffron ½ tsp
- Mayonnaise 60g
- Lemon juice 1 tsp
- Dijon mustard ½ tsp
For the filling
- Eggs 6
- Tarragon 1 tbsp, chopped
- Chives 2 tbsp, chopped
- Double cream 600ml
- Salt and pepper
- Sea spinach or baby spinach 80g, blanched and drained
- Mussels 300g, picked
- Quicke’s Devonshire Red cheese 240g, grated
For the salad
- Watercress 1 bunch
- Blood oranges 2, segmented and lightly chopped (reserve 30ml of juice for dressing)
- Pumpkin seeds 20g, toasted
- Sugar a pinch
- Extra virgin rapeseed oil 30ml
Method
- For the pastry: sieve the salt and flour into a large mixing bowl or food processor. Add the lard and butter and work together until the mixture has the consistency of fi ne breadcrumbs.
- Using a palette knife, gradually stir in the water until the mixture comes together into a ball. Place the ball on a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 220°c / gas 7. Roll out the pastry and use to line 6 lightly greased flan tins or 1 large flan tin. Chill for 30 minutes then line the pastry cases with baking paper and baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the paper and beans and brush each case with egg wash and bake for a further 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 160°c / gas 3.
- For the saffron mayonnaise: soak the saffron in a teaspoon of hot water for 5 minutes. Allow the water to cool, then whisk it into the rest of the ingredients. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
- For the filling: in a bowl, lightly beat the eggs, herbs and cream. Season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the sea spinach (thoroughly squeezed to remove excess water), mussels and cheese evenly in the bottom of the tart cases.
- Pour the egg mixture into the cases, ensuring even distribution of herbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set and the pastry is golden brown (allow an extra 5-10 minutes if making 1 large tart).
- For the salad: place the watercress, blood orange and pumpkin seeds in a bowl. Mix the blood orange juice, sugar and oil vigorously in a jar and then dress the salad with the mixture.
- Serve the tarts warm with the dressed salad and saffron mayonnaise.
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