TECHNICAL but still within the realms of the domestic cook. You will need a 22cm plain or fluted tart ring.
Start by making the sweet pastry.
Sweet pastry
Ingredients
- 235g soft flour
- 25g ground almonds
- 160g butter
- 1 whole medium egg
- 90g icing sugar
Method
- Chop butter and place with all dry ingredients in mixer.
- Using the paddle, mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add egg and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Cover and chill before use.
- When the pastry has had at least 1 hour in the fridge, roll it out and line your tart ring. Rest again in the fridge, then blind bake.
- Once the tart is cooked and has a nice golden colour, egg wash the inside of the tart whilst it is still hot and place back in the oven to dry for a couple of minutes. Then allow to cool.
Jellied red fruits for Tart Chiboust
Ingredients
- 300g frozen fruits of the forest
- 50g strawberries
- 100g caster sugar
- 2 leaves of gelatine
Method
- Mix the fruits of the forest with the sugar and defrost.
- Strain the liquid from the fruits and measure. You will need 200 ml. Discard any excess or add a little water if not enough.
- Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft, then dissolve in a little of the fruit liquid that has been heated up. Add this back to the rest on the liquid.
- Mix this into the forest fruits and add your strawberries that have been topped and cut into pieces similar in size to the rest of the fruits. Chill in the fridge until the jelly is just setting
Then make your pastry cream
Ingredients
- 500ml milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 125g sugar
- 50g flour
- ½ split vanilla pod
Standard method of preparation
- Boil the milk with the split vanilla pods.
- Whisk the eggs with the sugar thoroughly until it is a shade paler in colour. Then whisk in the flour. If the eggs, sugar and flour are not mixed well your cream will be lumpy.
- Pour the boiling milk on to the egg mix, stir then return to the pan and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Let the mixture bubble for at least 2 minutes.
- When pastry cream is ready place in a suitable container, cling film directly onto the cream to stop it getting a skin and cool quickly.
Once your tart case is cool you can fill ½ way with your jellied fruits, taking care not to have any gaps.
Then make your Chiboust cream.
Chiboust cream
- 250g pastry cream (room temp)
- 125ml double cream
- 45g caster sugar
- 75g egg whites
- 2.5 leaves gelatin
- ½ vanilla pod (split and seeds scraped)
Standard method of preparation
- Semi whip the cream with the vanilla seeds.
- Soak the gelatine and then dissolve in a little water. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks adding the sugar gradually until a soft meringue consistency is formed.
- Whisk the hot gelatine into the pastry cream. Fold in the semi whipped cream and then the meringue.
- Fill your tart to slightly over the top with the Chiboust cream and using a palette knife, smooth it over so the top is slightly domed in the middle. If you can’t do this just smooth it flat. Chill in fridge until set, then dust with icing sugar and glaze with a blow torch so the top is slightly caramelized.
When you are ready to serve cut portions using a hot knife.
Chef’s tips
With the berries holding a lot of moisture, I brush the tart bottom with egg yolk whilst still hot and place it back in the oven for a few extra minutes. This helps to seal the pastry and preserve the crispness of the tart. This is also a useful technique when making different tarts where you are pouring in a liquid such a lemon tart, as it acts as a waterproof membrane.
Before making the Chiboust cream, ensure you have all of your ingredient preparations ready before you add the gelatine otherwise things will start to set.
Only heat a small portion of the liquid fruit as heating fruit affects the flavour. The heated fruit liquid will thicken the berries and make a nice jelly
Make sure to give the pastry bottom a good working before rolling otherwise it will crack. Use as little flour as possible.
Recipe by Dominique Ashford, pastry chef.
