GOOSEBERRY CREME FRAICHE TART

INGREDIENTS:

Butter for greasing
200g sweet shortcrust pastry – see recipe below
Flour for rolling out

FILLING:

200ml crème fraiche
4 large egg yolks
1 whole egg
100g caster sugar
450g gooseberries, topped and tailed

METHOD:
Pre-heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Lightly grease a 23cm,2.5cm deep, loose-bottomed tart tin.

Heat a baking tray in the oven while you roll out the pastry. Roll the pastry on a floured surface so that it is larger than the diameter of the tin. Line the tin with the pastry and prick the base all over with a fork. Brush the base and sides with some of the egg white leftover from the eggs for the filling. Place the pastry-lined tin on the hot baking tray (this will make the base cook.)

Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is just beginning to turn golden brown. Then remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.  

To make the filling, whisk the crème fraiche, yolks, whole egg and sugar together.

Carefully arrange the gooseberries in the pastry case, pour the crème fraiche mixture over the top and return the tart to the oven for 40-50 minutes or until it’s a light golden brown.  Allow to cool before serving.

RICH SHORTCRUST PASTRY

The best way to make shortcrust with that crumble-in-the-mouth texture is to do it by hand rather than by machine, as a blender will overwork the gluten in the flour and cause the pastry to be springy and shrink when cooked. In addition, resting the pastry in the fridge is important, as the high proportion of butter to flour makes it difficult to roll out when warm.  Any unused pastry can be frozen (freeze it rolled into a tin, rather than in a ball.)

INGREDIENTS:

200g plain flour
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp icing sugar (if making sweet pastry)
100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp iced water

METHOD:

Mix together the flour, salt and sugar (if making sweet pastry).  Add half the cubed butter to the flour.  Gently and swiftly rub the fat into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  Add the rest of the butter and mix until it’s the size of small peas.  Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.

Mix the egg with the lemon juice and water and gradually pour into the well, a little at a time, rubbing it through your fingers, until it forms a  stiff dough (you may not need all the liquid.) Turn out onto a floured board and knead lightly until smooth. Shape into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  

To line a tin or mould, roll the chilled pastry onto the rolling pin, then unroll over the tin, draping the pastry into the tin or mould. Gently press it in place using your fingers.