Potato & Fontina Tart with Smoked Eel

Name: Potato & Fontina Tart (with Smoked Eel)
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 x 375g butter puff pastry sheet; 1 x 600g smoked eel, flesh picked (optional); 400g Dutch cream potatoes, peeled and very finely sliced; 1 brown onion, very finely sliced; 1/3 cup crème fraîche; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted; 125g fontina, rind removed, sliced; Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 25g butter; 8 sage leaves, torn; 1/2 cup watercress sprigs

This deliciously versatile potato & fontina tart can be vegetarian, but potatoes and smoked fish are such natural partners that I like to add hot-smoked trout or eel. If Fontina’s not available, use any mild washed rind cheese, or a soft stretched-curd cheese like Vannella smoked scamorza. I use Carême butter puff pastry (it’s already the right dimensions) and Pepe Saya naturally-cultured crème fraîche. Serve this potato and fontina tart with a textured Rosé de Provence such as La Chapelle Gordonne from the Vranken Pommery stable.

Serves 2–4

Ingredients

1 x 375g butter puff pastry sheet (13oz)
150g hot-smoked rainbow trout or eel meat, flaked (5½oz)
200g Dutch cream potatoes, peeled and very finely sliced (7oz)
1 small brown onion, very finely sliced
¼ cup crème fraîche (60ml)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
125g fontina, rind removed, sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
25g butter (1oz)
10 small sage leaves, torn
Handful watercress sprigs

Method

Place a baking tray in the oven and preheat to 200°C (400°F).
Place pastry on a sheet of baking paper and, if necessary, gently roll out to 27cm x 36cm (10½ x 14″).
Place fish, potato, onion, crème fraîche, caraway, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Using your hands, toss together to combine well.
Spread in an even layer over the pastry leaving a 5cm (2″) border and ensuring the potato slices aren’t stuck together.
Top with cheese.
Fold the edges of the pastry up to partially enclose the filling.
Brush well with egg.
Bake for 30–40 minutes, until well coloured. Set aside to rest for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan, add sage and fry for a minute or so, until crisp.
Pour over the tart, top with watercress, cut into squares and serve.