seafood tartlets
PREPARATION TIME: 30 MINUTES (Plus 2 Hours Chilling Time)
COOKING TIME: 40 MINUTES
MAKES: 36
FILLING
2/3 cup good mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
14 ounces cooked prawns, peeled
Sprigs of dill to garnish
PASTRY
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons sour cream
cold water
To Make The Pastry:
The easiest way to make up the pastry is to use a food processor. Add the flour and butter and pulse until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Add the sour cream and pulse until just combined.
Add the water 1/2 a tablespoon at a time and pulse until the pastry just comes together. You may need more or less water depending on your flour. But I would think about 1 1/2 tablespoons should be enough.
Tip the pastry out and pat into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic film and put it into the fridge for about 2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Lightly grease a 12 hole mini muffin tin.
Roll your pastry out to a thickness of about 1/16 inch. The easiest way to do this is to sandwich the pastry between two sheets of baking paper.
Use a 2inch cutter to cut rounds from the pastry.
Press the rounds into your muffin tin and fill with baking beans or just slip another muffin tin in on top.
Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, remove the beans or top tin and return your tart cases to cook for a further 6 or 7 minutes.
The cases should be golden and firm.
Remove the cases to cool on a rack while you bake the rest of your pastry.
To Make The Filling:
Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and herbs in a small bowl.
Cover and leave in the fridge until needed.
To Assemble the Tartlets:
Spoon teaspoons of the mayonnaise mixture into the tartlet shells.
Place a slice of prawn on top and tuck a tiny sprig of dill in beside it.
Serve immediately before pastry cases become soft.
TIP:
1. You can cheat very successfully with this recipe by using premade tart or canape cases.
2. Instead of prawns you could use slices of lobster or small piles of crab meat.
