Potato, Smoked Eel & Fontina Tart

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 sometimes add smoked eel. Hot-smoked rainbow trout also works; either way use about 300g flesh if using seafood. If Fontina’s not available, use any mild washed rind cheese, I’ve used Tasmanian Heritage Red Square with great results. I use Carême butter puff pastry and Pepe Saya crème fraîche. Serve it with a textured Rosé de Provence such as La Chapelle Gordonne from the Vranken Pommery stable.

Serves 4

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
⅓ 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
½ cup watercress sprigs

Method

Place a baking tray in the oven and preheat to 210°C.
Place pastry on a sheet of baking paper and gently roll out to 27cm x 35cm if necessary.
Using your hands, toss eel, potato, onion, crème fraîche and caraway together well.
Spread in an even layer over the pastry leaving a 5cm border and ensuring the potato slices aren’t stuck together.
Top with Fontina and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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.