Indulge At Home With This Delightful Recipe

There is something about the crispy pastry, soft custard filling and almost crème brûlée looking top that make Portuguese Custard Tarts a favourite sweet pleasure, perfect to serve for brunch, afternoon tea, dessert or somewhere in between.  Those who attended A Brunch Obsession at the Vasse Felix Restaurant last November experienced Brendan’s Portuguese Tarts alongside Idée Fixe on this wondrous occasion. These Tarts are a perfect accompaniment to the Premier Brut, both contrasting and complementing the elegant, savoury notes of our Blanc de Blancs.

PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS

Makes 8 tarts (standard muffin tray size)

INGREDIENTS

3            Egg yolks

115g      Caster sugar

2 tbl      Corn flour

230ml   Cream

170ml   Milk

½          Vanilla pod, seeds scraped

3 Sheets ready rolled puff pastry (this makes the recipe quick and easy but you could make your own from scratch!)

METHOD

Combine all ingredients in a heavy based pot. Place over a medium heat and using a whisk, continuously mix until it thickens.

Remove from the pot into a heatproof bowl, cover the top with cling film so as not to let a skin form, and place into the fridge to cool. When fully cooled down, place the mix into a piping bag.

Pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

Grease the moulds of a standard non-stick muffin tray with a very light coating of oil. Line the moulds with one layer of puff pastry. Use a ring cutter 2cm wider than the outside of the muffin mould to cut the pastry. This will allow for the pastry to run up the walls of the mould. Once you have lined all the moulds with the pastry, fill them 2mm from the top of the pastry with the cold custard mix.

Place the tarts into the oven and set your timer for 5 minutes. Once 5 minutes is up, turn the oven down to 200 degrees Celsius. and cook for a further 14 minutes.

Remove the tarts when they are set and the pastry is a lovely golden brown, place onto a cooling rack. Best enjoyed warm the day they are made with a glass of Premier Brut Blanc de Blancs!

“The unctuous creamy texture of the custard is a great contrast to the fine mousse of the wine. The mousse also helps soften the flaky, buttery pastry, almost reminiscent of brioche – an adored note of the Blancs de Blancs.”

– Brendan Pratt