Sift the flour into a bowl

Rub the fats into the flour with your fingertips until they resemble breadcrumbs, or whizz it up in your food processor.

Add the salt and the beaten egg and mix to a dough, adding a little cold water if necessary. Try not to handle the dough too much as this makes it tough.

Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Roll out on a lightly floured work surface and use to line a 28 cm/11 inch loose-bottomed flan tin.

Cover the pastry with greaseproof paper or foil and fill with baking beans or any raw dried beans.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C/350F/gas mark 4 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 .

Preheat the oven to 170 C/325 F/Gas mark 3

Lay the smoked salmon in the base of the pastry case.

Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus, simply bend the spear and it will snap off at the right place, lay the asparagus spears across the tart, alternating the direction of the heads.

Beat the whole egg and egg yolks and add the soured cream and milk and blend together, add a few grinds of black pepper, 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 30-40 minutes or until set.