Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Plus sixty minutes chilling and 15 mins cooling
Skill level: Moderately easy
Servings: Serves 6 – 8
Gordon’s classic strawberry tart contains the crumbliest pastry ever, along with a few of his personal modern touches
Ingredients
For the pastry
– 200g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
– 1 tsp fine sea salt
– 1½ tsp baking powder
– 125g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, plus extra for greasing
– 125g caster sugar
– 1 large sprig thyme, leaves stripped
– 3 egg yolks
– dry, uncooked rice, for baking
For the filling
– 250g ripe, even-size British strawberries, hulled
– 4 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
– 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
– 284ml tub double cream
– finely grated zest 1 lemon
– finely grated zest 1 lime
– 2 ripe (wrinkled) passion fruits, halved
– 2 tbsp crème fraîche
– 2 tbsp natural yogurt
– 6 large basil leaves, chopped
– icing sugar along with a handful small basil leaves to serve
Video
Directions
To have the pastry, sift the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Rub within the butter until oahu is the texture of crumbs, then mix inside sugar and thyme leaves. Make a well within the centre. Beat the egg yolks together, then stir in to the mixture using a table knife until it forms soft clumps. Using your fingers, draw the pastry together right into a rough dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead in to a smooth ball. Cover with cling film and chill for around 30 mins. Rub just a little softened butter around a visible 20cm x 2cm flan ring.
Cover a huge baking sheet with nonstick baking parchment and put the ring from the centre. Dust the effort surface and rolling pin with flour. Lightly re-knead the dough until smooth, then unveil to a round roughly 30cm in diameter. Lift the dough above the rolling pin and drape in the ring. Press gently into your sides and allow the overhang fall on the exterior. Break off a chunk of pastry and roll to a ball. Dip in to a little on the icing sugar, then utilize it to press the dough to the ring. Do not trim during this period. Chill the tart case for a minimum of 30 mins, preferably inside freezer.
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cover the tart case which has a large round of baking parchment, then half-fill with uncooked rice. Place within the centre in the oven and bake for 15 mins. Remove and lift your parchment and rice. Turn oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3, wait about 5 mins, then return the truth and bake for any further 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool for ten mins. Using a small, sharp knife, cut away excess pastry, trimming the ring top. Loosen the sides that has a knife, accomplish the ring leaving to cool. The case ought to be biscuit crisp.
To have the filling, put the strawberries using a plate, dredge while using icing sugar and vinegar, then put aside. Beat the cream using the grated zests until just forming soft peaks. Scoop the passion fruit pulp to a small sieve and rub through to the cream using the back of your spoon, then stir inside the crème fraîche and yogurt. Stack the big basil leaves together, shape to a roll, thinly slice into shreds, then chop. Fold these to the cream.
When the bottom has completely cooled (it doesn’t matter if this has broken throughout the sides just a little), assemble the tart. Spoon the cream to a piping bag with no nozzle, then pipe in small, even dollops within the base. Drain the strawberries and press lightly on top of the cream. Dust over more icing sugar, tuck inside small basil leaves one of the strawberries and serve immediately.