Smoked Salmon And Cream Cheese Tart

Smoked Salmon And Cream Cheese Tart
4.5 (2 ratings)
If you're a fan of smoked salmon, the best way to use the fatty fish is by baking it into a tart with cream cheese and chives. The blend of flavors bakes into a stunning, golden brown brunch dish that can serve up to six people. You can use drained canned red salmon with smoked paprika, but you shouldn't use lox. This recipe is by JeanMarie Brownson and was originally published in the Chicago Tribune. 
Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
55
minutes
Servings
6
Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 pie crust (9-inch), homemade (or store-bought crust, thawed)
  • 1 cup large flakes of skinless smoked salmon, loosely packed (about 6 ounces)
  • 2 ounce cream cheese, diced (one-quarter of an 8-ounce package)
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or green onion tops
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
  • fresh herbs
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Roll the crust between two sheets of waxed paper to an 11-inch circle about ⅛ inch thick.
  3. Fit the circle into a deep 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
  4. Roll the rolling pin over the rim of the tart pan to trim off the excess dough.
  5. Line the crust with a piece of foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. (This will help prevent shrinkage and puffing while the crust bakes.)
  6. Bake until the edges are golden, usually about 25 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights. Cool crust on a wire rack.
  7. Set tart crust in the pan on a baking sheet.
  8. Arrange salmon, cream cheese and chives in the bottom of the shell. Sprinkle with pepper. Beat eggs with half-and-half in a small bowl. Carefully pour over the salmon mixture.
  9. Bake until filling is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Remove the sides of the tart pan. Serve warm.