Souffléd crab & asparagus tart

• ready-made shortcrust pastry↗300g g
• butter↗25g g
• plain flour↗25g g
• milk↗300ml ml
• freshly grated nutmeg
• chilli powder2

  2 pinches

• white crabmeat↗200g g

  fresh or frozen and defrosted

• asparagus↗140g g

  tips

• eggs↗3

  separated

• finely grated parmesan3 tbsp tbsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out pastry and line a 25cm tart tin. Line the case with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 mins, then remove paper and beans and cook for 5 mins more. Trim off excess pastry. Reduce oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.

2. 2

   Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min. Gradually add the milk, stirring all the time until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Add nutmeg, chilli and salt and leave to cool slightly.

3. 3

   Flake up the crabmeat and add to the sauce. Blanch the asparagus for 3 mins, drain well and cool under cold running water. Pat dry with kitchen paper and scatter over the pastry case.

4. 4

   Stir the egg yolks into the sauce. Whisk the whites until stiff, then fold into the sauce in 3 batches. Spoon into the tart case and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 30-35 mins until puffed and golden.