John Torode’s custard tarts
A mid-week treat, John Torode shares his version of the incredibly moreish Pastel De Nata, a traditional Portuguese custard tart with a smooth baked custard inside a flakey puff pastry cup.
Portuguese custard tarts
Makes approx 24
Ingredients:
Water dough:
250g strong flour
50g butter, softened
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
120ml water
Oil dough:
180g strong flour
30g butter, softened
70g lard or you can use shortening
Custard:
30g strong flour
300ml milk
160ml water
220g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Lemon peel from half a lemon
6 egg yolks
Method
1. For the water dough: Rub flour and butter together with the salt and the sugar and then add the water to make a soft dough. Knead, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
2. For the oil dough: Rub the butter and lard into the flour, kneading until the mixture starts to form into a dough. Shape gently into a small rectangle shape. Cover and leave to rest with the water dough.
3. On a well floured surface roll the water dough out flat into a rectangle shape. Top with the oil dough in the centre and roll out. Fold once and roll again until 1cm thick. Tightly roll up like wrapping paper and chill.
4. Start by cutting 2cm discs from the centre of the roll towards the ends. Reroll the untidy ends of the roll and repeat to make more discs. Roll each disc to fit a 12-hole shallow greased tart/cupcake tin, place in the centre of each hole press down and then chill again.
5. For the custard: In a bowl whisk together the flour and 50ml of the milk until smooth.
6. In a small pan, combine the caster sugar, the cinnamon and the water. Bring to a boil and cook until it reaches 100C. (If you don’t have a thermometer, dip a spoon into your syrup and lift it, a large drop is supposed to form and as if falls it should leave a short thin string behind). Do not stir your solution, as we don´t want any crystallisation.
7. Meanwhile, in another pan, bring the remaining milk to a boil. Once boiled, remove it from the heat, add the vanilla and lemon zest and cover it with a lid to infuse for a minute or two. Pour it into the flour and milk mixture.
8. Pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream into the infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir until it cools slightly.
9. Add in the egg yolks and whisk, strain the mixture into a jug. Cover and set aside to cool.
10. Fill each tart case ¾ full with the cooled custard.
11. Bake at 220C/gas 7 for 18 to 20 minutes.
12. Best served with fresh raspberries or apricots, or especially good with coffee or an espresso Martini.
Espresso Martini
Ingredients
Sugar syrup:
100g caster sugar
200ml Vodka
20ml Vermouth
50ml Kahlua
2 shots of espresso
Lots of ice
Coffee Beans
Method
1. For the sugar syrup gently heat together 100g caster sugar with 50 ml water until syrupy. Cool. Store any extra in a jar in the fridge.
2. Mix together 30ml of the sugar syrup with the remaining ingredients except the ice and the coffee and shake.
3. Pour the coffee over the ice and then add the rest of the shaken alcohol and shake, shake, shake.
4. Pour into a martini glass and top with a few coffee beans.