Txangurro Tartlets

1hr 20 mins

6 people

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

1hr 20 mins

Based on the traditional San Sebastian dish called Txangurro a la Donostiarra, these little tartlets are a delicious pintxo to serve as a pre-dinner canapé. The sauce is made from crab meat slowly cooked with shallots, leeks and tomatoes and flambé with Cognac. The mix is then spooned into the crispiest of tartlets made from pâte à foncer pastry and baked under a hot grill.

Ingredients
Method

1 large spider crab or crab weighing 1kg or 350g crab meat
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 large spring onion, finely sliced
1 leek, only the white part finely sliced
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and deseeded
150ml tomato sauce
50ml Cognac
1 ladle shellfish stock
Breadcrumbs
Few knobs of butter
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
For the shortcrust pastry:
250g plain flour
125g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and slightly softened
1 egg
1 tsp caster sugar
½ tbsp fine salt
40ml cold water

If you are cooking the spider crab yourself, check out this step by step guide.
For the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl or work surface and make a well. Add the butter, egg, sugar and salt in the middle and with your fingertips, mix and cream the ingredients. Now, little by little, draw the flour into the centre and work the dough until you get a grainy texture. Add the cold water and mix it until the dough begins to hold together. Knead for 4 or 5 times until smooth. Roll the pastry into a ball, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Roll out the pastry to a 2mm thickness. Using a 10cm cutter as a guide, cut out 12 rounds. Use these to line a 12 individual loose-bottomed quiche tins, 5 cm in diameter and 1 cm deep. Leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F/Gas Mark 4. Prick the pastry case bases. Bake the cases blind for 8 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and bake for another 5 minutes. Unmould onto a wire rack and allow to cool down.
Heat the oil and butter in a medium sized pan, add the onions and leek and poach very slowly for 20 minutes, add the Cognac, and flambé. Add the tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, and cook slowly for a further 15 to 20 minutes, wet the sauce with the ladle of shellfish stock and add the crab meat, cook for a couple of minutes and stir well.
Pour the filling into the pastry tartlets, the sauce should not be too liquid or too dry, sprinkle the top of the tartlets with the breadcrumbs and place one knob of butter on top. Place the crab tartlets into a pre-heated oven at 200˚C/400˚F/Gas Mark 6 for 5 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve immediately.

Ingredients

1 large spider crab or crab weighing 1kg or 350g crab meat
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 large spring onion, finely sliced
1 leek, only the white part finely sliced
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and deseeded
150ml tomato sauce
50ml Cognac
1 ladle shellfish stock
Breadcrumbs
Few knobs of butter
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
For the shortcrust pastry:
250g plain flour
125g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and slightly softened
1 egg
1 tsp caster sugar
½ tbsp fine salt
40ml cold water

Method

If you are cooking the spider crab yourself, check out this step by step guide.
For the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl or work surface and make a well. Add the butter, egg, sugar and salt in the middle and with your fingertips, mix and cream the ingredients. Now, little by little, draw the flour into the centre and work the dough until you get a grainy texture. Add the cold water and mix it until the dough begins to hold together. Knead for 4 or 5 times until smooth. Roll the pastry into a ball, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Roll out the pastry to a 2mm thickness. Using a 10cm cutter as a guide, cut out 12 rounds. Use these to line a 12 individual loose-bottomed quiche tins, 5 cm in diameter and 1 cm deep. Leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F/Gas Mark 4. Prick the pastry case bases. Bake the cases blind for 8 minutes, then remove the beans and paper and bake for another 5 minutes. Unmould onto a wire rack and allow to cool down.
Heat the oil and butter in a medium sized pan, add the onions and leek and poach very slowly for 20 minutes, add the Cognac, and flambé. Add the tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, and cook slowly for a further 15 to 20 minutes, wet the sauce with the ladle of shellfish stock and add the crab meat, cook for a couple of minutes and stir well.
Pour the filling into the pastry tartlets, the sauce should not be too liquid or too dry, sprinkle the top of the tartlets with the breadcrumbs and place one knob of butter on top. Place the crab tartlets into a pre-heated oven at 200˚C/400˚F/Gas Mark 6 for 5 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve immediately.

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Chef's Profile

Javier De La Hormaza

Javier is a Basque born, trained chef and hospitality professional, owner of Basco Fine Foods, a Spanish food and drink importer based in Yorkshire. He regularly runs client food and drink events around the country and he is a course tutor at Hartingtons of Bakewell cookery school. Javier’s passion lies on bringing quality Spanish ingredients and recipes to as many people as possible.

Twitter: @bascofinefoods
Instagram: @mrbasco

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