Scottish Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Tart

Scottish Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Tart is a delicious combination of salty smoked salmon, a creamy egg custard, and fresh seasonal asparagus spears in a crisp cheese pastry tart shell.   It is perfect for summer entertaining served with a simple salad. 

Why make Smoked Salmon and Aparagus Tart?

This delicious tart takes the quiche to a whole new level. The recipe feels slightly decadent with it’s luxury ingredients but it’s actually a great way to make smoked salmon go a bit further. The cheese in the pastry case is barely detectable but adds to the overall savoury flavour.

Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Tart is ideal recipe to serve for summer lunches and picnics. And it’s luxurious enough to grace a summer buffet celebration even though it’s fairly straightforward to make. 

What ingredients do I need to make Scottish Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Tart?

Most of the ingredients you need to make this tart are things you will already have in your larder or fridge with the exception of the smoked salmon and the asparagus. Here is what you will need:

• Plain (all purpose) flour
• Butter
• Salt
• Smoked Salmon
• Fresh Asparagus
• Sour Cream
• Eggs
• Milk
• Ground black pepper
• Fresh Dill (optional)

A full list of the ingredients and the required quantities is found in the recipe card at the end of this article.

What is Smoked Salmon?

Smoked salmon can be hot smoked or cold smoked. In this recipe I use Scottish cold smoked salmon. The salmon is first brined and prepared with various herbs depending on the particular smokehouse. The fish is then slowly smoked in a specialist ‘smoke box’. The smoke preserves the fish without cooking it.

I use cold smoked salmon in this tart but you can also make it with hot smoked salmon. Break up the hot smoked salmon and spread it across the base of the pastry shell before adding the asparagus and the egg custard.

Is cold Smoked Salmon raw?

Yes, it is raw but has been cured by the brine and preserved by the smoking process. You can eat raw smoked salmon but you can also add it to cooked dishes like this tart.

What is Asparagus?

Asparagus or A. officinalis is grown for its delicately-flavoured young shoots, or spears. The plant is actually a member of the lily family and has a very short season that starts at the end of April and runs until the middle of June.

I don’t have sour cream, can I use ordinary cream?

You can substitute double (heavy) cream for the sour cream that I recommend for this recipe but I would also add a tablespoon of lemon juice as this helps to cut through the richness of the rest of the ingredients.

I have also made the filling for the tart using full fat creme fraiche instead of sour cream. It has a good level of acidity and gives a good creamy flavour.

I don’t have any dill, what can I substitute?

Dill is the herb that is most often paired with smoked salmon and goes well with most fish. However, it is a bit of a divisive herb as you either love it or loathe it!

For this reason I have not included it in the filling for the tart but use it as a garnish. You can leave it off altogether or garnish with finely chopped chives.

Can I do any preparation ahead of time?

Prepare the unbaked pastry case

You can prepare the pastry case to the stage where you line the flan tin and then cover and keep in the fridge for up to two days before baking blind and then filling and baking. You can freeze the unbaked pastry case for up to 3 months.

Store the baked pastry case

You can also keep the baked pastry case in an airtight container for up to two days, then continue with the recipe.

Store the filled and baked Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Tart

You can keep the baked tart in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you plan to serve it cold, make sure you take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving so it can come to room temperature. If the tart is too cold you won’t taste the full flavours.

Why do I need to chill the pastry?

I recommend that you chill the pastry before lining the tart tin and again after lining the tin. If you don’t do this then the pastry will shrink when it bakes and won’t be big enough to hold all the filling.

How long do I have to chill the pastry?

I usually chill the pastry dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes. After I have lined the tin I pop it into the freezer for about 10 minutes, but if you don’t have room in your freezer then another 20 minutes in the fridge should do the trick.

What is blind baking and why do I have to do this?

Blind baking simply means baking the pastry shell before filling it. If you put a wet filling into an unbaked pastry case the base is unlikely to cook properly and you will get a ‘soggy bottom’ rather than a crisp bite of buttery crust.

Can I use a ready made pastry case?

You can buy the uncooked pastry or a ready-made pastry case if you are not confident about pastry making or simply don’t have the time. Just skip past the instructions for making the pastry and continue either with blind baking the uncooked pastry or with making the filling.

Vegetarian

You can make this recipe vegetarian by choosing a vegetarian smoked salmon substitute.

Gluten Free

The pastry case for this recipe is made with wheat flour and therefore not suitable for a GF diet. However, you can substitute a suitable gluten free pastry as the filling should be fine.

For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I serve Smoked Salmon & Asparagus Tart?

Serve the Smoked Salmon & Asparagus Tart warm as a main course with buttered new potatoes and lightly steamed green beans or Air Fryer Courgettes with Garlic and Lime. Or serve in smaller slices as a light lunch or appetiser with salad.

This tart feels really luxurious and is ideal to serve at special occasions, perhaps as part of a buffet. You can also wrap it up whole or in individual slices to take to a picnic.

More Quiche and Savoury Tarts

Easy Tomato & Bacon Tart

Sweet tomatoes and salty smoked bacon in a creamy custard, baked in a crisp shortcrust pastry tart. Ideal for lunch or supper with salad.

Check out this recipe

Courgette and Feta Tart

Courgette and Feta Tart is a tasty savoury tart that is a great way to use summer vegetables. It is filled with roasted courgettes (zucchini), cubes of feta cheese and flavoured with fresh basil.

Check out this recipe

Air Fryer Quiche Lorraine

A classic bacon and egg tart adapted to make in your air fryer.

Check out this recipe

Cheese, Bacon & Turkey Quiche

The perfect way to use leftover turkey, cheese and cream to make a tasty tart.

Check out this recipe

Try these salads with any of my savoury tarts

• Greek Salad
• Sweet Chilli Pasta Salad
• Balsamic Tomato Salad
• Easy Bean Salad

Scottish Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Tart

Janice Pattie

A delicious combination of salty smoked salmon, a creamy egg custard, and fresh seasonal asparagus spears in a crisp cheese pastry tart shell.   It is perfect for summer entertaining served with a simple salad. 

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course appetiser, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine British, Scottish

Servings 6

Calories 445 kcal

Equipment

• 1 23 cm (9 in) loose bottom flan/tart tin
• 1 baking tray
• 1 weighing scales
• 1 Measuring spoons
• 1 rolling pin
• 1 medium bowl
• 1 Food Processor (optional)
• 1 blunt knife
• baking beans
• 2 small bowls
• 1 Whisk or fork

Ingredients

For the pastry case

• 200 grams (1¼ cups) plain all purpose flour
• 100 grams (3½ oz) butter diced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 100 grams (1¼ cups) cheddar cheese
• 50 millilitres (¼ cups) cold water

For the filling

• 100 grams (3½ oz) Scottish smoked salmon
• 175 grams (6 oz) asparagus
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 200 millilitres (1 cups) soured cream
• 50 millilitres (¼ cups) milk
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

For Garnish

• 50 grams (2 oz) Scottish Smoked Salmon
• 3 asparagus spears
• ½ tsp dill optional

Instructions

 

To make the pastry

• Sift the 200 g (1¼ cups) of plain (all purpose) flour into a bowl. Add the 100 g (3½ ounces) butter. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until they resemble breadcrumbs,
  
• Or whizz it up in your food processor.
  
• Stir 100g (1¼ cups) grated cheddar cheese and ½ tsp salt into the pastry crumb Then add the 50 ml (¼ cup) water a bit at a time into the pastry crumb until it starts to come together.
  
• Mix to a dough with a blunt knife, adding a little more cold water if necessary. Try not to handle the dough too much as this makes it tough.
  
• Wrap the pastry dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  
• Pre-heat the oven to 200℃/180℃ Fan/350℉
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and use to line a 23 cm/9 inch loose-bottomed flan tin. Trim the pastry around the edge of the tin but leave enough to allow for a little shrinkage. Place the pastry lined tin into the freezer to chill for 10 minutes or into the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
  
• Cover the pastry with baking parchment or foil and fill with baking beans or any raw dried beans.
  
• Place the tart/flan tin onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  
• Remove the beans and paper and return the pastry case to the oven for 5-10 minutes until lightly coloured. Leave to cool.
  

For the Filling

• Preheat the oven to 160℃/170℃ Fan/325 ℉
• Lay the 100 g (3½ ounces) of the smoked salmon in the base of the pastry case. Keep the remaining smoked salmon for garnish.
  
• Snap off the woody ends of the 200 g of asparagus, simply bend the spear and it will snap off at the right place. Set aside 3 asparagus spears for garnish.
  
• Lay the remaining asparagus spears across the tart, alternating the direction of the heads.
  
• Separate two of the eggs, setting aside the egg white for another time. Crack one whole egg into the bowl with the two egg yolks.
  
• Beat the eggs with a whisk or fork. Add the 200g sour cream, 50 ml (¼ cup) milk and ½ tsp ground black pepper to the eggs and beat together until combined. No salt is required as the smoked salmon is quite salty.
  
• Place the flan tin onto a baking tray and gently pour the egg and cream mixture into the flan.
  
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the egg is set. Leave to cool for 15 minutes if serving warm or longer if serving at room temperature.
  
• While the tart is baking, cook 3 asparagus spears. Brush them with oil and cook in an air fryer for 4 minutes at 200℃/400℉ OR cook them under a hot grill, or on a griddle pan.
  
• Remove the tart from the baking tin and place on a serving platter. Garnish with 50 g (2 oz) smoked salmon, the three cooked asparagus spears and ½ tsp chopped dill (optional).
  
• Serve Scottish Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Tart warm with new potatoes and green beans or at room temperatue with salad.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 16gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 634mgPotassium: 244mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1230IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 195mgIron: 3mg

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Recipe first published May 2017