Chefs' Recipes

Marco Pierre White's custard tart

A recipe from one of the world's best.

Jan 08, 2013 4:33am
By Marco Pierre White
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 1 hr 55 mins cooking plus resting, cooling
  • Serves 8
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Such a simple dessert, but many people believe a good egg custard is the measure of a truly good chef. This tart is best served the day it is made.
This recipe is from Marco Pierre White's Great British Feast (Orion, $55, hbk). In editing this recipe for publication we have made minor changes to bring it into Gourmet Traveller style.

Ingredients

  • 350 gm plain flour
  • 125 gm caster sugar
  • 160 gm unsalted butter, coarsely chopped and slightly softened
  • 3 egg yolks
Custard
  • 15 egg yolks
  • 170 gm caster sugar
  • 1 litre heavy cream (45% milk fat)
  • ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • To serve: pure icing sugar and a few mint sprigs

Method

  • 1
    Sieve flour and sugar together into a large bowl and slowly rub in butter to form a mixture resembling breadcrumbs. Add egg yolks and continue mixing until dough comes together and is smooth. Shape it into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and leave it to rest in the fridge for 1 hour, or until needed.
  • 2
    Meanwhile, to make the custard, beat egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add cream and whisk together, then pass through a fine sieve and set aside until needed.
  • 3
    Preheat oven to 180C. Roll out the pastry until quite thin and use it to line a 25cm-diameter, 5cm-deep tart ring. Blind bake tart in oven until pastry is golden and crisp (about 30 minutes). Allow to cool and remove paper and weights. Reduce oven temperature to 120C.
  • 4
    Remove any bubbles that have formed on the surface of custard mixture. Pour mixture into tart case and lightly scatter nutmeg over top. Place in oven and cook for 1 hour 25 minutes, or until the custard has set all the way through. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
  • 5
    Using a hot knife, cut tart in quarters, then cut each quarter in half. Dust with a little icing sugar and garnish with mint sprigs, if using.

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