Tarts and flans are quick to put together using bought pre-rolled pastry sheets and are ideal for lunches or casual meals. I prefer to make a white sauce base for my tarts, as the final texture is richer. There are plenty of variations on this recipe and I have listed them here. For a true Marlborough flavour, use Koromiko cheese, produced just outside of Blenheim.

Ingredients

• 2 sheets pre-rolled savoury short pastry
• 25 grams butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons Mild American Mustard
• 425 gram can tuna in oil or water, well drained
• ½ cup chopped cooked spinach, drained or use defrosted frozen spinach, drained
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup grated Koromiko cheddar cheese
• ½ cup sour cream

Method

1. Roll the pastry sheets out together and use them to line the base and sides of a 24cm loose-bottomed flan tin.
2. Bake blind at 200ºC for 10 minutes. Remove the baking blind material and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
3. Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until frothy. Gradually pour in the milk and stir over a moderate heat until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the egg yolks and mustard. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
4. Fold in the flaked tuna, spinach, parsley, cheese and sour cream then season well with salt and pepper.
5. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry (they should look frothy). Fold into the tuna mixture.
6. Pour the filling into the case and return it to an 180ºC oven for 35-40 minutes or until the flan is cooked and golden. The filling should be firm to touch, but be aware that it will be softer than a normal flan. Serve hot or cold.

Cooks Tips

- Use different cheeses, or a combination such as blue cheese and gouda or brie and cheddar. - Use another fish, such as smoked salmon or chunks of fresh cooked or canned salmon. - If you do not have parsley, omit it and add more spinach. - Add corn in place of spinach. - Add creme fraiche or fresh cream in place of the sour cream. - Use another mustard, such as whole grain or Hot English. - Add a chopped blanched tomato.