How to Prepare Crab and Watercress Tarts

Ingredients:

• 450g-500g plain flour or all-purpose flour with some for dusting
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• zest from two lemons and finely grated
• 230-250g (5½oz max.) unsalted butter, keep cold. Cubed. An extra tablespoon is needed for the saute of the spring onion pieces.
• 3-4 medium eggs – these will be split into yolks with egg white for the pastry glaze
• 100ml (3½fl oz) whole milk
• 5-6 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• Medium handful fresh watercress, roughly chopped
• 200g (6oz) fresh white crab meat
• 25g (1oz) finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 180ml-200ml (5fl. oz.) double cream
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped
• some pea shoots for garnish

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 5.
2. Put the flour, lemon zest, plenty of pepper and salt into a large mixing bowl. Just mix until all is combined well.
3. Add the cold butter and rub into the flour with your fingers to form flakes only in the bowl.
4. Separate two eggs and set the white aside. Add the yolks and 2-3tbsp cold water to a well made in the mixture in the bowl. Stir until it forms a ball. You can use a knife to incorporate the flour to avoid too much mess. 
5. Pat the ball into a discus and cover in clingfilm. Leave for 30 to 40 minutes in the refrigerator to rest.
6. Roll out on a lightly floured cold surface to about 3mm thick.
7. Line an 8 x8cm loose bottomed tart (two or three of these if they are smaller) tin witt the rolled out pastry. Let some overhang and trim later.
8. Prick the base a few times with a fork and rechill the pastry in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
9. In the mean time, put a small frying pan on a low heat. Add the remaining butter (about a tablespoon) and melt. Saute the spring onion for up to 5 minutes or until they are yellow and softened. Place in a bowl and put to one side.
10. Remove the pastry cases from the fridge and lay onto a baking sheet. Line each pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans or rice. 
11. Bake blind for up to 20 minutes but at least 10 minutes.
12. Brush the inside of the pastry case with the egg white. Rebake for just 5 minutes and really no more.
13. Whisk the remaining egg white in a large mixing bowl with some salt and some spare lemon zest. 
14. Add the milk, cream, cooked sponge onions with chopped watercress and remix – best to whisk here too if you are strong enough otherwise just mix as best you can with a spoon.
15. Distribute half the crab meat between the cases.
16. Put the mixture into the tart cases and then bake these for up to 20 minutes. About 15 should do but it depends always on the oven. You can bake until the tart has set and gone slightly golden.
17. Serve the tarts topped with the remaining crab, any watercress sprigs, garnish with pea shoots and chopped chilli.