Ingredients
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200 g fresh Spinach
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1 tsp finely grated Lemon Zest
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100 g brown Shrimp
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1 tbsp Lemon Juice
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2 Egg
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150 ml double Cream
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grated Nutmeg
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Salt
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Black Pepper
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Pastry
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200 g wholemeal Spelt Flour
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pinch of Salt
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110 g cold Butter
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1 Egg
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1–2 tbsp cold Water
Directions
Maybe you think you can’t make pastry and you’re not sure about spelt flour. Give it a go and you’ll be surprised it’s really not difficult and using spelt flour is no different to using ordinary flour. Brown shrimp are available in supermarkets or you can use potted shrimp instead – just remove the buttery layer on the top. And you’ll notice I mention ‘baking beans’ in this recipe. These are just to keep the pastry flat when you’re baking it without a filling. You can buy special ceramic baking beans but ordinary dried beans work just fine. You’ll also need four 12cm tartlet tins.
Steps
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1
Done
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To make the pastry, put the flour with a pinch of salt in a food processor or a bowl. Add the cubes of cold butter and either blitz or rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture is the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. |
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2
Done
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Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water and mix to form a dough. If the dough is too crumbly, add a little more water. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for at least an hour. If you’re in a hurry, you can chill the dough in the freezer for 10–15 minutes. |
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3
Done
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Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6. Divide the pastry into 4 balls and roll them out into rounds slightly larger than your tartlet tins. Line the tins with the pastry. Pierce the base of each all over with a fork, then line with baking parchment and add some baking beans. |
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4
Done
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Bake the pastry cases in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and bake for a further 10 minutes until the pastry is cooked through and light brown in colour. When the pastry is cool, trim the edges if necessary. |
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5
Done
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To make the filling, cut off any long stalks from the spinach. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the spinach and cook it briefly until wilted. Drain and press out as much water from the spinach as you can. Divide the spinach between the tartlet shells, then sprinkle over the lemon zest. Mix the brown shrimp with the lemon juice, then divide them between the tartlet shells. Season with salt and pepper. |
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6
Done
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Beat the eggs together, then add the double cream, season with salt and pepper and mix. Pour an equal amount of mixture into each tartlet over the spinach and shrimp, then finish with some grated nutmeg. |
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7
Done
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Bake the tartlets in the oven for 10–15 minutes until the egg mixture is set, with just a very slight wobble in the middle. Serve hot or cold. |
