Smoked Salmon Fennel And Herbed Mascarpone Tart Recipes

SMOKED SALMON TART FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Make the pastry: Put flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly, then add butter all at once and whir until mixture resembles wet sand. Add egg and continue just until dough comes together. (Alternatively, cut butter into dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix by hand.) Knead dough lightly on counter-top, then divide into four pieces and form each into a ball. Wrap with plastic film and flatten to 1-inch-thick disks. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Make the horseradish cream: Mix together crème fraîche, horseradish, mustard and lemon zest. Season generously with salt and pepper, then keep cool. (If cream firms upon standing, beat with a fork.)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put onion in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil and mix to coat. Roll out each piece of dough to an 8-inch-diameter circle. Place the pastry disks on parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle onion slices over each round.
• Bake tart rounds for 6 to 7 minutes, until pastry is lightly browned and puffed, and onions are starting to brown. (Turn pans halfway through for even browning.) Let cool for a minute or two.
• Put pastry on a cutting board. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges. Spoon some horseradish cream onto each wedge. Tear salmon slices into wide ribbons and lay them over the cream. (Use 1 ounce salmon per tart.) Top each wedge with a tiny spoonful of roe, if using, and sprinkle with chives and tarragon. Serve directly from the board.

SMOKED SALMON, FENNEL AND HERBED MASCARPONE TART

Steps:

• Trim the fennel. Halve the fennel top to bottom, then use a paring knife to cut out the thick core in the center. Remove the tough outer layer. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice the fennel horizontally as thinly as possible. You should have about 3 to 3 1/2 cups.
• Grate 1 1/2 teaspoon zest from the lemon, then squeeze out 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, keeping zest and juice separate.
• In a mixing bowl, toss together fennel slices, lemon juice, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper. Let sit for 20 minutes to soften fennel.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 425 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In another medium mixing bowl, use a rubber spatula to mix together the mascarpone, herbs, egg, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to form a 13-by-11-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score a 1/2-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry.
• Spread mascarpone mixture evenly inside the scored border. Drain the excess liquid from the fennel and arrange the slices in an even layer on top of the mascarpone.
• Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, 22 to 28 minutes. Let tart cool on its baking sheet on a rack for at least 15 minutes before serving (or up to 4 hours).
• To serve, cut tart into pieces. Drape each with a slice of smoked salmon, sprinkle with a little lemon juice, and garnish with capers, dill and black pepper.