07 Jun Everyone’s Favourite Berry
Everyone’s Favourite Berry
We couldn’t look at this season’s berries without talking about possibly the most popular berry of them all, strawberries! You know summer has hit when the fruit and veg isles start to fill up with these little red delights.
For our strawberry recipe we’re pairing it with something which like the berry you can tell its good by its smell and that’s basil. It might sound unusual but trust us, this strawberry and basil tart is the perfect addition to any summer’s day.
What you’ll need;
125g butter
200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
60g caster sugar (for pastry)
1 egg yolk
400ml whole milk
70g caster sugar (for filling)
½ a vanilla pod, seeds scraped
4 eggs
20g plain flour
20g cornflour
50ml double cream
400g strawberries
5 tbsp strawberry jam
small handful small or micro basil leaves
What you’ll need to do;
- Start with the pastry by putting the butter and flour in a food processor and pulsing to a crumbly mixture. Add the sugar and egg yolk, and pulse to a dough. When ready, wrap the mixture in cling film and put in the fridge for 1 hr. Once chilled, prepare a surface with flour and roll out the dough to a £1 coin thickness, then drape over a 12 x 35cm rectangular tart tin, press into the sides, and put in the fridge for 30 mins.
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the pastry case with parchment and baking beans. Bake for 25 mins until the pastry is a light biscuity colour. Remove the beans and parchment; if needed, bake a little longer just to crisp up the base.
- While the pastry is cooking, add the milk, sugar and vanilla to a pan and bring to the boil. Whisk together the eggs and flours, then add the milk, whisking as you pour. Pop the mix back in the pan and cook until it becomes a thick and glossy custard. Once ready, pass it through a fine sieve and leave to cool. Meanwhile, whisk the cream until it holds its shape. Fold the cream and custard together.
- When the tart case is cool, spread the custard over the base. Slice the strawberries and arrange them over the top. Bring the jam to the boil with a few table spoons of water, simmer to a smooth glaze, then brush over the strawberries. Scatter over the basil leaves and serve.
There you go! A great way to enjoy the produce of this season!
If you would like to learn more about seasonal produce and improve your cooking skills why not book seasonal private cooking lessons with us? You can use the details below to contact us to arrange your lesson.
Call- 0208 226 37 59
Email- info@chefscompliments.co.uk
