JOE SWASH’S SALMON, PESTO AND SPINACH TART
serves 4-6
● 250g fresh spinach
● 320g pack ready- rolled puff pastry
● 1 egg, beaten with a little water
● 300g salmon fillet, skinned andcut into large chunks
● 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
● Zest 1 lemon
● Few basil leaves
● 1 tbsp olive oil
● 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
FOR THE PESTO:
● 2 tbsp pine nuts or almonds
● 1/2 garlic clove, crushed
● 1 large bunch basil, leaves picked
● 10g Parmesan, finely grated
● Zest 1 lemon and a squeeze ofjuice
● 50ml olive oil
STEP 1 Make the pesto. Pulse the nuts in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the garlic, basil leaves, Parmesan, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the basil is broken down. Drizzle in the oil with the food processor going until you have a sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste. Set aside. STEP 2 Wash the spinach and put in a pan while still wet. Place over a medium heat and cook, pressing it down until wilted. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, squeeze to remove the excess liquid.
STEP 3 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Unroll the pastry onto a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Score a 2cm border around the edge, cutting deeply, but not all the way through. Prick the centre all over with a fork, then brush with the egg. Bake for 15 mins. When you take the pastry out, press it down gently if it’s puffed up. Leave the oven on.
STEP 4 Spread 3 tbsp of pesto over the tart (keep any leftover pesto in the fridge for up to a week). Top with the spinach, salmon, tomatoes, lemon zest and basil leaves. Whisk the oil and vinegar together and brush over the salmon and cut sides of the tomatoes. Bake for
10 mins or until the salmon and tomatoes are cooked and the pastry is golden. Brush with a little extra pesto, to serve, if you like.
● Recipe from Joe’s Kitchen by Joe Swash (£22, Pavilion)