❧ COOKING COMPANION
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FRANGIPANE TARTS WITH HOME-MADE CUSTARD
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James Martin says: “Still one of my favourite recipes to cook at home and, in fact, one of my fa- vourite recipes in this book. You can make one big or eight small tarts but, in either case, don’t overfi ll the tins as the mixture rises and expands and, impor- tantly, never refrigerate the cooked tarts as the frangipane will set hard and they will end up tasting like shop-bought versions. Not that they will even make it to the fridge; they taste too good.”
New fl avours from old favourites
There was a time when my taste in food was to say the least, on the conservative side, but then came college, the big wide world and exposure to the joys of good food through the farmers markets.
It would also be true to say that my natural environment was never the kitchen, unless I was eating or at a party, until recently that is. I am far from a cordon bleu chef, but I have picked up a few tips from the restaurants that we work with and especially from my good friend Lesley Waters. There are three key lessons that I have learned and they are very simple. We are very lucky to live in these times as far as travel goes, as it is no longer unusual for any of us to travel to lands near and far where we happily try new fl avours and foods. Some of us might even track down exotic ingredients when we get home, and that’s great, but maybe it’s all too easy to
forget the amazing range of home grown ingredients that we can enjoy and experiment with.
Secondly, with a bit of ingenuity, it’s amazing what you can create, especially if you let your food brain wander ‘off piste’. Thirdly, creating fantastic food need not be diffi cult or time consuming, which is just as well given my culinary skillset. Fine words I hear you say, so where is the delivery Andy! Well here it comes with my take on a fi ne British Pesto. All you need is some garlic, lemon juice, hard cheddar, parsley and any other herb that takes your fancy, British hazelnuts or walnuts, a generous splosh of FusselsRapeseed Oil, seasoning and a food processor, although a pestle and mortar will also do the trick. Simples! If you need the detail, just check out the Fussels website recipe page.
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nefoods.co.uk 58 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER Serves 8
For the pastry ❤ 125g cold unsalted butter, chopped
❤ 250g plain fl our, plus more to dust
❤ 1 egg, lightly beaten
For the fi lling ❤ 225g raspberry jam ❤ 225g unsalted butter, softened ❤ 1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
❤ 225g caster sugar ❤ 5 eggs ❤ 225g ground almonds ❤ 75g whole blanched almonds
1 For the pastry, put the butter and fl our into a food mixer and pulse- blend until it looks like crumbs, then add the egg and mix until it forms a fi rm dough. Wrap in cling fi lm and put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
2 To make the tart, roll the pastry out to about 3mm thick on to a work surface lightly dusted with fl our.
3 Carefully line eight 10cm loose- bottomed tart tins, or a 23cm deep-sided loose-bottomed tart tin, with the pastry, pressing it into the edges. Spread the jam over the base or bases, then leave to rest in the fridge for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ gas mark 4.
4 For the fi lling, beat the butter, vanilla seeds and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fl uffy (save
the empty vanilla pod). Crack in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until they have all been fully incorpo- rated. Carefully fold in the ground almonds.
5 Spread the fi lling over the jam, smoothing it to the edges, then decorate with the almonds, in concentric circles.
6 Place the tart or tarts in the oven and cook for 25 minutes for the tartlets or 35–40 minutes for the large tart, or until the fi lling has risen and is cooked through and the surface is an even pale golden- brown.
7 Make the custard as below. To serve, cut the tart into wedges or place a tartlet on a plate and pour the custard alongside.
For the custard ❤ 250ml whole milk ❤ 250ml double cream ❤ 110g caster sugar ❤ 4 egg yolks
1 To make the custard, put the milk and cream into a shallow sauce- pan and set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil.
2 Meanwhile, whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl. When the milk is boiling, pour it on to the eggs, whisking all the time, then return the whole mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle heat, whisking, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Strain into a clean pan and warm through very gently.
Home Comforts by James Martin is published by Quadrille Photography by Yuki Sugiura
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