With brunch we often look for ways to serve eggs, bacon and or salmon or fish. These tarts fit the bill, being easy to make, yet special enough for Christmas day.

Ingredients

• 10 sheets filo pastry
• 100 grams butter, melted
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup cream
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tblsp finely chopped fennel or dill fronds
• 170 gram roll goat’s milk Camembert
• 250 - 400 grams asparagus
• 300 - 500 grams hot smoked salmon (optional)

Method

1. Take one sheet filo of pastry and divide in three width-wise and then cut in half to give you 6 even-sized pieces. Brush one piece with butter and top with a second layer of filo slightly off centre. Repeat with the other four pieces of filo. Place the buttered square into a well- greased muffin tin. Repeat with the remaining filo and butter to make 10 muffin cases.
2. Beat the eggs and cream together and stir in the Parmesan and fennel. Pour equal amounts of the egg mixture into the filo lined tins.
3. Slice the goat’s milk Camembert into 12 rounds and place one piece on top of each pie.
4. Bake the tart at 190°C for 10-12 minutes or until the filling has set and the goat’s cheese has melted.
5. While the tarts are cooking. Trim the asparagus of any coarse ends. Pan fry in a dash of good quality olive oil over a high heat. When serving arrange a few spears of grilled asparagus and a few broken pieces of hot smoked salmon with each Tart. Accompany with salad green and a little olive oil and garnish with herbs such as chives.

Grilled Asparagus

1. If the stems of the asparagus are thin and tender, just trim the ends. If the stems are thick, peel from about half way down. Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes and drain. Toss in live oil or butter over a high heat in a frying pan to just colour.

Cooks Tips

We used Antoniou pastry when making this recipe. If you use another variety, you may find you will need to trim the pastry squares to fit nicely into muffin tins.