Savoury Crab Tart Recipe: Buttery Pastry, Fresh Crab

By Beleaev Family | International Caviar & Gourmet, Head Office London | beleaev.com

Savoury crab tart pairs buttery shortcrust pastry with crab and cream filling. Lighter than quiche, more elegant in presentation.

Key Takeaways
- Blind-bake pastry
- Mixed crab meat
- Fresh herbs (chervil, dill)
- Bake until just set
- 1 tart serves 6

Savoury crab tart with herbs in tin

The Ingredients

Serves 6

For pastry:

  • 250g plain flour
  • 125g cold unsalted butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 30ml cold water

For filling:

  • 400g mixed crab meat
  • 3 large eggs
  • 200ml double cream
  • 50ml whole milk
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped chervil or dill
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • A pinch of cayenne
  • Sea salt and black pepper

The Method

1. Make pastry: rub butter into flour, add yolk and water. Knead briefly. Rest 30 min.

2. Roll out and line 24cm tart tin. Blind-bake 180C for 15 min.

3. Whisk eggs, cream, milk, herbs, lemon zest, cayenne, salt, pepper.

4. Scatter crab in pastry case. Pour egg mixture over.

5. Bake 180C for 30 min until just set.

6. Cool 10 min. Slice and serve warm or room temperature.

Tips

Blind-bake pastry.

Don't overbake. Slight wobble at centre.

Cool slightly before slicing.

Use both white and brown crab.

Variations and Pairings

With caviar: Top each slice with Royal Oscietra.

With smoked salmon: Add 100g cold-smoked salmon.

Wine pairing: A chilled Sancerre.

For more crab dishes, see our crab quiche recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tart vs quiche?

Tart has thinner pastry, lighter filling. Quiche has thicker pastry and denser filling.

Make in advance?

Bake 4 hours ahead. Hold room temperature.

How much crab?

400g for 6 portions.

Crab tart is one of those lunch dishes that quietly elevates a Saturday afternoon. Discover Beleaev's caviar collection at beleaev.com.

Beleaev is an international caviar and gourmet house headquartered in London, with fulfilment hubs across the UK, Europe, the UAE, and the United States. We deliver responsibly farmed Beluga, Oscietra, Sevruga, and Kaluga caviar to customers in each region within 24 to 48 hours.

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