Custard tart

SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 25 MINS

“Like most good pastry cooking this tart is about juxtaposition: buttery crisp crust contrasted with a silky smooth centre,” says Wise. “Use good cream – this is one of those times when you’ll taste it.” 750 ml (3 cups) pouring cream 1 tsp vanilla extract

12 egg yolks

120 gm caster sugar

1 nutmeg

SWEET SHORTCRUST PASTRY

200 gm (1⅓ cups) plain flour, sifted

60 gm pure icing sugar, sifted 120 gm butter, diced

1 egg, plus extra lightly beaten for eggwash

1 For pastry, place flour, icing sugar, butter and a pinch of salt in a bowl and rub until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add egg and mix just to bring the mixture together. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to chill

(2-3 hours).

2 Roll out pastry on a lightly floured bench to 3mm thick and place it in a 4.5cm-deep, 20cm-diameter cake ring or springform tin on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest. Trim edges and dock with a fork.

3 Preheat oven to 170°C, then blind-bake pastry case for 15 minutes (see cook’s notes p182). Remove foil and weights, brush tart shell with lightly beaten egg and return to oven to just set (7 minutes).

4 Reduce oven to 130°C. Bring cream and vanilla to the boil in a saucepan. Lightly whisk eggs and sugar in a bowl, then, whisking continuously, pour hot cream into egg mixture. Transfer custard to a jug, then pour into tart shell and bake until set with a little wobble in the centre (20-25 minutes). Remove from oven, finely grate nutmeg over the top, leave to cool (about 1 hour), then serve. Custard tart is best served on the day it’s made but will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.