Coconut custard tart with roasted pineapple
This custard tart has a tropical twist with sunny Caribbean flavours. Bake it for your next dinner party and we guarantee your guests will go back for a second helping!
Method
Rub the flour and butter together with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolks and 1-2 tbsp cold water, then mix until the dough starts to form clumps. Tip onto your work surface and knead a few times to bring any crumbs into the dough. Shape into a puck, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 mins.
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and put a baking sheet on the middle shelf to warm up. Roll out the dough on a flour-dusted surface to line the base and sides of a 23cm round fluted tart tin. Drape it over a rolling pin and lift into the tin, keeping an overhang of about 1cm. Press into the corners, leaving no gaps. Save the pastry scraps.
Line the tart case with parchment and tip in baking beans or rice. Bake for 20-25 mins on the sheet, then remove the beans and parchment. Check for holes and patch them with the scraps. Put back in the oven for 5-10 mins to give it a nutty brown colour. Brush with the beaten egg and return to the oven for 2 more mins. While still warm, use a serrated knife to trim the pastry to the height of the tin. Leave to cool. Reduce oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1.
Put the cream and coconut cream in a pan and heat until steaming. Meanwhile, whisk the whole eggs, yolks and sugar until pale. Pour the hot cream over the eggs, whisking until the sugar has dissolved. Pour through a sieve into a jug.
Put the tart case on the baking sheet in the oven, with the shelf pulled out. Pour in the custard, using up as much as you can. Sprinkle nutmeg over the top generously and bake for 50-55 mins until the custard is set with a little wobble when gently shaken. Leave to cool. Chill for at least two hours, or up to two days.
When ready to cook the pineapple, heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 8. Peel it using a knife to carve away the skin, then cut into four wedges and remove the core. Slice lengthways into long slivers. Arrange over a baking tray lined with parchment. Mix the sugar, rum (or lime juice) and a grating of nutmeg, then paint this over the pineapple. Bake for 10 mins, or until caramelised. Serve warm with the cold tart. We served ours on top with coconut shavings.