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These gluten-free salmon tartlets are easy to make ahead of time and can also be frozen for another occasion. The tartlets make a dainty appetiser or finger food at parties. Delicious served on their own or with a serving of either Dijon mustard, English mustard or horseradish cream.
About the pastry
The pastry is a gluten-free savoury base, also used in my gluten-free asparagus tart.
The combination of butter, cream cheese, milk, egg yolk, gluten-free plain flour and almond meal makes a perfect tart base which is strong enough to hold the filling and compliments the egg custard filling in flavour.
The addition of almond meal gives the pastry a darker finish than regular tart shells but adds a welcome subtle nutty texture.
If my store-bought flour has xanthan gum, do I still need to add it?
Yes! Any gluten-free pastry recipe that requires rolling and shaping benefits from that extra “bind”. It doesn’t hurt to add an extra measurement of xanthan gum.
About the filling
Smoked salmon and eggs are a perfect match, so adding salmon slivers to the egg custard elevates this tartlet into an elegant party food or picnic number.
To create this filling, eggs and cream are whisked together, followed by grated Cheddar or Gouda cheese. If you prefer to substitute the cream for milk then add the same quantity of milk but add an extra egg to the mixture.
Which tins should I use?
Choose to use either disposable mini tart tins or aluminium mini tart tins. Although the disposable tins are not environmentally friendly, I find that I can still reuse them several times after a good wash.
Gluten-Free Salmon Tartlets
Equipment
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Ingredients
GLUTEN-FREE SAVOURY TART BASE
- 150 g store-bought or homemade gluten-free plain flour
- 50 g almond meal or ground unpeeled almonds
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 100 g butter, chilled and cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp plain or herb cream cheese
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2-3 tsp iced-cold water
SALMON FILLING
- 2 eggs, beaten well
- 100 ml pouring cooking cream
- 2 tbsp mild Cheddar cheese or Gouda, grated
- ½ tbsp fresh chives, snipped into small pieces
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 100 g smoked salmon, sliced into thin slivers
Garnishing
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, snipped into small pieces
- fresh rocket/arugula leaves
- Dijon mustard, English mustard and/or horseradish cream
Instructions
GLUTEN-FREE SAVOURY TART BASE
Making the tart dough
- Gather and measure all the savoury tart ingredients together.
- In a medium bowl, mix the plain flour, almond meal, xanthan gum, white pepper and salt together.
- Rub the butter with the flour mixture using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Using a wooden spoon, add the egg yolk, cream cheese and milk, mixing well.
- Add one tablespoon at a time of iced-cold water until it comes together. Bring the dough together into a ball. If it feels too dry, add more iced-cold water until it comes together.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
Rolling out the tart base
- Lightly brush your mini tart tins with some butter.
- Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper. Sprinkle some flour on the dough if it feels too sticky.
- Cut out enough squares of baking paper slightly larger than the tart tin.
- Using a round fluted pastry cutter, press into the rolled-out dough and transfer the cut-out to the tart tin. Press the dough down gently into the tin.
- Lay small squares of baking paper on top of each pastry and place some weights or dried beans over the paper. This is the first step of "blind baking" which ensures the pastry is cooked and remains unraised before adding the filling.
Baking the tart base
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- For the second step in "blind baking", remove the baking paper and weights or beans. Prick the base with a fork to prevent the pastry from rising while baking. Bake for a further 6 mins.
Making the salmon filling
- In a measuring jug, whisk the eggs, cream, cheese, chives and white pepper together.
- Evenly distribute the salmon pieces in the pastry shells followed by some snipped chives.
- Gently pour the egg custard mixture over the salmon pieces until it reaches the top of the shell.
Baking the salmon tartlets
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the filling is set.
- Allow to cool down for 5 to 8 mins before serving them warm or leave them to come to room temperature for another 30 mins or so.
Serving
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a generous sprinkle of snipped chives on a platter of fresh rocket/arugula leaves as a garnish.
- Accompany the salmon tartlets with either some English mustard, horseradish cream or Dijon mustard in a small bowl.
Notes
- Keeps for 3 days chilled
- Reheats well for 10 minutes covered with foil at 180°C/350°F
- Suitable to freeze in sealed containers
Make these tartlets even fancier by topping each one with a tiny spoonful of caviar and a dill frond.
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