Smoked Haddock and Spinach Tart
This smoked haddock and spinach tart combines flaky fish, tender greens and a rich Cheddar custard in homemade shortcrust pastry. The Thermomix TM7 chops the butter into the flour in seconds and mixes the silky egg filling, making an impressive savoury bake straightforward enough for any home cook.
About this recipe
Smoked haddock and spinach tart Thermomix TM7 recipes bring a truly classic British bake within easy reach of every home cook. With the TM7 all-in-one kitchen machine, the buttery shortcrust comes together in seconds, the smoked haddock poaches gently in milk, and the egg-and-Cheddar custard is blended to a silky smoothness before it meets the golden pastry shell. The combination of flaky, smoky fish, iron-rich spinach and a rich, quivering filling makes this tart a stunning centrepiece for a leisurely weekend lunch, a springtime brunch or a light evening meal with a green salad. Because the machine handles the chopping, mixing and gentle heating, you can focus on blind-baking the pastry and arranging the topping neatly. Anyone searching for an impressive yet approachable savoury tart recipe will find this one delivers restaurant-quality results time after time, with every step clearly guided and mess kept to a single mixing bowl.
Preparation tips
- Blind bake the pastry thoroughly before filling, as the smoked haddock releases moisture during baking; a crisp base keeps the tart sliceable. Prick the base, line with baking paper and dried beans for a structurally sound shell.
- Gently flake the poached haddock into large chunks rather than stirring it into the custard, so every slice shows distinct pieces of fish and vivid green spinach leaves.
- Serve the tart just warm rather than piping hot, allowing the Cheddar custard to set cleanly. A sharply dressed watercress or rocket salad balances the richness of the filling beautifully.
Recipe variations
- For a lactose-free version, poach the haddock in a plant-based alternative such as oat drink and use a mature lactose-free Cheddar; dairy-free block butter also works well in the shortcrust pastry.
- For a festive winter variation, swap the spinach for leeks sweated in butter and add crisp bacon lardons, or top with flakes of hot-smoked salmon and a spoonful of horseradish cream for an elegant party starter.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Chopping cold butter into the plain flour takes mere seconds, giving the shortcrust pastry a crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- The built-in scale weighs the flour and butter directly in the mixing bowl, so the pastry ratios stay accurate without extra washing up.
- Gentle heating of the milk and whole milk keeps the custard base below boiling, preventing lumps in the Cheddar filling.
- Grating a block of Cheddar cheese in moments gives you fine, even shreds that melt smoothly through the tart's golden filling.
- Mixing the eggs with the seasoned milk produces a velvety, lump-free custard poured evenly over the haddock and spinach.
Ingredients
- plain flour
- unsalted butter
- fine sea salt
- milk
- Cheddar cheese
- smoked haddock
- whole milk
- onions
- olive oil
- unsalted butter