Strawberry Tart

When strawberries are in season, you will definitely want to make a Strawberry Tart. It is gorgeous. I m using Pate brisee as the base pastry here. It has a buttery flavour and crisp texture, perfectly complementing the flavour and texture of strawberries. I have filled the pastry case with Pastry cream and topped with poached strawberries. You can serve it as is but I love it with a dollop of softly whipped cream on top.

Pate Brisee

Ingredients:
250 grams all purpose flour
150 grams butter, cut into small pieces and slightly softened
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon cold milk

Method:
Heap the flour on a work surface and make a well. Put in the butter, salt, sugar and egg. Using your fingertips, mix and cream these ingredients together. Little by little, draw in the flour, working the dough delicately until it has a grainy texture. Add the milk and incorporate gently with your fingertips until the dough begins to hold together. Using the palm of your hand, work the dough by pushing it away from you 4-5 times until it is smooth. Roll it into a ball.
Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin  with flour. Using light strokes and applying even pressure, roll out the pastry, giving it a quarter turn and flipping it over from time to time. This will prevent it from sticking and helps to keep it aerated. Continue until the pastry is the size and shape required. Make sure to roll out 5-7 cm larger then the size of the tart tin.
Transfer the pastry to your lightly greased flan or tart tin. Lightly press the pastry into the edges of the tin and into the flutes. Trim off the excess pastry with a knife. Rest the pastry case in the fridge for 20 minutes or so.
Prick all over the pastry base with a fork, to release the trapped air.
Line the flan or tart case with a parchment paper and fill with a layer of baking beans to weight the pastry down and prevent it from rising unevenly. Bake blind in the oven at 180 degree Celsius for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and paper, then return the pastry case to the oven for 15 minutes until completely cooked. Cool on a wire rack. Your pastry case is now ready for use. Either use it at once or leave until cold, then wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 2 weeks. Take out of the freezer about 20 minutes before filling.

The above ingredients make around 450 grams of pastry dough .For an 8 inch tart or flan case you will need around 220-240 grams of pastry dough. You can freeze the remaining dough, tightly wrapped in a cling foil or in an air tight container for upto 2 weeks.


Pastry Cream:
Ingredients:
25 grams caster sugar
1 egg yolks
10 grams all purpose flour
10 grams cornflour
150 ml milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Method:
In a medium size heatproof bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolk. In another bowl, sift the flour and cornflour together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan, bring the milk just to a boil over medium heat. Pour the milk slowly into the egg mixture, whisking continuously to prevent curdling. If the mixture curdles, then strain it. Then place the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over a medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. when it boils, continue to whisk constantly for a minute or so until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with a plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Let the cream cool in refrigerator for a few hours before using.

Poached Strawberry Filling:
Ingredients:
250 grams Strawberries, sliced
60 grams butter
60 grams caster sugar

Method:
Melt the butter in a deep frying pan and tip in the sugar. Add the strawberries and toss lightly over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until hot and barely half-cooked, then drain, reserve the juices. Return the juices to the pan and reduce until syrupy.


How to Assemble:

Put the pastry case on a serving platter. Spread the pastry cream on to the bottom of the case. Place the poached strawberries on top and moisten with a little of the reduced syrup. Put softly whipped cream on top and serve right away.

Submitting this post to Fabulicious Food for their Simple and in Season event.