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Chef Marcus Wareing's decadent custard tart was his grandmother’s cherished family recipe. It became famous when he served it at Her Majesty's 80th birthday lunch, and ten years later, in honor of the queen's 90th birthday, he's finally decided to let us all in on the secret. (Makes 6-8 slices)
Ingredients
Crust:
1 quantity chilled Shortcrust Pastry (see recipe below)
2 large organic egg yolks, lightly beaten, to glaze
Filling:
9 large organic egg yolks
75g caster sugar
500 ml whipping cream
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
Directions
Line a large roasting pan with non-stick baking parchment. Place a buttered 18 x 3.5 cm pastry ring (or loose-bottomed tart tin) in the centre. Roll out the pastry, chill for half an hour and then use to line the ring, letting the surplus hang over the top. Chill for another half an hour.
Heat the oven to 374°F.
Bake the pastry case blind for 10 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove the paper and rice, and brush the inside of the party case with the egg yolks. Return to the oven to bake for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.
Next, make the filling. Put the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the cream, mix well and then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a heavy pan. Warm over a low heat to blood temperature (98.6°F), stirring all the time. Put into a jug.
Put the cooled pastry case, still in the ring, in the parchment-lined pan, on the middle shelf in the oven. Slowly and carefully pour in the custard, filling the case as full as you can - right to the very top. Grate nutmeg liberally all over, to cover the custard completely.
Bake the tart for 45-50 minutes until the custard looks set but not firm - it should have a slight, even quiver across the top when you gently shake the roasting pan. Leave to cool to room temperature, then remove the ring. Cut into neat wedges with a sharp knife to serve.
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
Ingredients
230 g plain white flour, sifted with a pinch of salt
150 g chilled unsalted butter, diced
75 g caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 medium organic egg beaten with 1 medium organic egg yolk
Directions
In a large bowl, gently work the flour and butter together until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and lemon zest, then add the eggs slowly to form a dough. Gently shape it into a ball, flattening slightly and then wrap tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate for two hours before using. This pastry is very fragile, and handles best when well-chilled.
Courtesy of Town & Country Magazine