Blueberry Custard Tart Recipe - Great British Chefs

Dessert
easy
8
1 hour 30 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling

PT1H30M

PT1H

Russell Brown's beautiful blueberry custard tart recipe is a must-have summer dessert. Topped with fresh blueberries and a homemade blueberry compote recipe, these are great make-ahead tarts for a dinner party.

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Ingredients

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Blueberry compote

200g of blueberries, fresh
75g of caster sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested

Sweet pastry

225g of unsalted butter
170g of caster sugar
4 large egg yolks
4 tbsp of water, cold
110g of cornflour
335g of plain flour, soft
5g of fine sea salt

Lemon custard

110g of semi skimmed milk
320g of double cream
cinnamon, one 3cm long stick
1 lemon
6 large egg yolks
80g of caster sugar
3g of gelatine, soaked in cold water

To serve

300g of blueberries, fresh
icing sugar, for dusting
1 lemon

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To make the pastry, cream the butter and caster sugar together until the mixture starts to go pale. Combine the egg yolks and the water and beat gradually into the butter mixture

225g of unsalted butter
170g of caster sugar
4 large egg yolks
4 tbsp of water, cold

Mix the flours and the salt and sift onto the butter mix. Use a rubber spatula to fold the flour in; you are aiming for dough that is homogenous but has been worked as little as possible. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and bring together into a cylinder. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes

110g of cornflour
335g of plain flour, soft
5g of fine sea salt

To make the blueberry compote, combine all of the ingredients in a small pan and bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Cook gently until the berries have collapsed, then reduce the liquid by about half. Allow a little compote to cool and test for set; you are looking for a lightly set gel

200g of blueberries, fresh
75g of caster sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested

Add more lemon juice if required, then pass through a fine sieve and chill. Blend with a hand blender to give a smooth texture

Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3

Roll the pastry out to a 2–3mm thickness and use to line the tart tins. Line with cling film and baking beans and blind bake for approximately 10 minutes until the pastry starts to dry out. Remove the baking beans and return to the oven until light golden brown

Brush with a coat of egg yolk and return for the oven for 1 minute to set the yolk then remove and leave to cool

To make the lemon custard, combine the milk and cream in a heavy-based pan, then add the cinnamon and lemon zest, grating the zest directly over the pan to catch all the lemon oil. Bring to a simmer, remove from the heat, then cover and allow to infuse for 30 minutes

110g of semi skimmed milk
320g of double cream
cinnamon, one 3cm long stick
1 lemon

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and pale. Reheat the cream mixture and gradually whisk into the yolks. Return to the pan and cook out, stirring constantly in a figure of eight motion until the custard starts to thicken and has reached 79°C

6 large egg yolks
80g of caster sugar

Remove from the heat. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine and add to the custard, stirring to dissolve. Pass the custard through a fine sieve into a plastic container and press cling film directly onto the surface. Chill until needed

3g of gelatine, soaked in cold water

To assemble the tarts, remove the custard from the fridge, beat well and transfer to a piping bag with a 1cm plain nozzle. Spread a dessert spoon of blueberry compote into the tart shells, chill for 10 minutes and then pipe in the custard to fill

Smooth out the custard and place the tarts in the fridge for 30 minutes. Top with a layer of blueberries and glaze with the compote

300g of blueberries, fresh

Allow to come to room temperature before serving. To finish, dust half the tart lightly with icing sugar and grate some lemon zest over the other half

1 lemon
icing sugar, for dusting

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Russell Brown

Russell Brown has achieved Michelin stardom on his own terms, impressing inspectors with his honest, unfussy creations and sound approach to restaurant management.