Fish paté and mushroom tart: Portuguese recipes from Luso restaurant

4 hours ago 5

Two key elements at the heart of Portuguese eating culture are couvert and pastry. A couvert, comprising bread, butter, pickled or garlic carrots, cheese and fish paté (often sardine), comes as standard at every Portuguese restaurant and family dinner table alike, as it does at our restaurant Luso, where our fish paste is an ode to this way of dining. The mushroom tart, meanwhile, celebrates the Portuguese love of pastry and is a take on a traditional savoury tart. While such tarts are unlikely to feature solely mushrooms (they’re much more likely to be mixed vegetable tarts), we like to focus on the incredible varietals of this single ingredient.

Smoked fish and vegetable paste (pictured top)

A smooth, savoury blend of smoked fish and sweet vegetables that’s ideal as a spread, dip or toast topper. For a softer spread, stir a tablespoon of creme fraiche into the veg mix after blending.

Prep 25 min
Cook 35 min
Makes 300g

For the fish paste
300g undyed smoked haddock or cod fillet, skinless and boneless
600ml whole milk
1 bay leaf
60ml olive oil (about 4 tbsp)
½ brown onion (about 120g), peeled and chopped
1 small carrot (about 120g), peeled and chopped
½ small fennel bulb (about 100g), trimmed and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
½ tbsp pink peppercorns, or black peppercorns
50ml white wine (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper

For the chilli oil (optional)
100ml rapeseed oil
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 small bay leaf

Put the smoked haddock, milk and bay leaf in a medium saucepan, bring to a gentle simmer, then leave to poach for six to eight minutes, until the fish flakes easily. Gently lift the fish out of the milk, leave it to cool slightly, then flake into small pieces; discard the milk and bay leaf.

Next, cook the vegetables. In a frying pan, warm the olive oil on a medium heat, then add the onion, carrot, fennel, garlic and peppercorns, and cook gently, stirring, for 10 minutes, until soft and fragrant, but not browned. Stir in the white wine, if using, and leave it to bubble away until almost all the liquid evaporates.

Tip the vegetable mixture into a blender or food processor, blitz until very smooth, then tip into a medium bowl. Fold in the flaked fish until it’s thoroughly combined, then season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. The paste will now keep for up to three days in a sealed container in the fridge.

To make the optional chilli oil, warm the rapeseed oil in a small pan, take off the heat and stir in the chilli flakes and bay leaf. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes, then decant into a clean jar and seal (if you like, strain it first).

To serve, spoon the fish paste into a bowl, drizzle over a little chilli oil to taste, if using, and serve with toast, crackers or crudités.

Mushroom tart

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 2

For the mushroom caramel
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1-1½ shallots, peeled and finely chopped (35g net)
100g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped (and add any of the trimmings from slicing the mushrooms below)
2 tbsp light soy sauce

For the tart
160g ready-rolled puff pastry (ie, ½ a regular 320g pack), cut in half into two rectangles
Olive oil
80g king oyster mushrooms, cut into ½cm-thick slices
Sea salt
80g shiitake mushrooms, cut into ½cm-thick slices
80g oyster mushrooms, cut into ½cm-thick slices
80g chestnut mushrooms, or button mushrooms, cut into ½cm-thick slices
70g maitake mushrooms, cut into ½cm-thick slices (if unavailable, use an extra 70g shiitake instead)

First, make the caramel. Put the oil in a small pan on medium heat, add the chopped shallot and saute gently, stirring, for 10-12 minutes, until lightly caramelised. Add the chestnut mushrooms, cook for another 10 minutes, until soft and reduced, then stir in the soy sauce. Puree until smooth, then set aside.

Now for the tart. Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Lay the two pastry rectangles on a large oven tray (or individual trays) lined with baking paper. Bake for three to five minutes, until the pastry is slightly puffed up and lightly golden, then remove and turn down the oven to 200C (180C)/390F/gas 6.

Put a little olive oil in a medium frying pan on a high heat, then carefully fry the king oyster mushrooms, seasoned with a little sea salt, on both sides for a minute or two, until golden. Transfer to a small plate, then repeat one by one with each variety of the remaining mushrooms, keeping them all separate.

Spread a thin layer of the mushroom caramel over each pastry base. Arrange the seared king oyster mushroom slices on top, then brush with another light layer of caramel. Repeat one by one with all the other mushrooms, adding a smear of caramel between each variety to help build flavour and structure, and finishing with the maitake (or extra shiitake) on top, again brushed with caramel. Return to the oven for eight to 10 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Serve hot or at room temperature with a crisp green salad.