Fig Tart Recipe Nigel Slater Food

FRENCH FIG TARTS

Steps:

• For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a 5-inch-round flat disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for exactly 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• On a floured board, roll the dough to a rectangle a little larger than 10-by-14 inches. Wrap the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared pan. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the dough to a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Remove the stem of each fig and cut them in quarters through the stem (or in sixths, if the figs are very large.) Place the figs in rows on the dough. Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup of sugar and dot with the butter.
• Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the fruit starts to brown. Rotate the pan once during baking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The juices will burn in the pan but the tart (and the pan!) will be fine! When the tart's done, loosen it from the pan while it's still warm and transfer it to a board or clean piece of parchment paper.
• In a small pan, heat the apricot jelly with 2 tablespoons water and brush the fruit and pastry completely with the mixture. Allow to cool, cut into squares, and serve warm or at room temperature.

FIG, HONEY AND MASCARPONE TART

Steps:

• Put the flour in a large mixing bowl.
• Cut the butter into small chunks and tip into the flour.
• Rub the butter between your thumbs and fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, stir in the sugar and drop in the two egg yolks.
• Using a table knife or your hands, mix in the eggs.
• Then use your hands again to bring the whole lot together.
• You may need a few drops of water but add them carefully.
• You should end up with a soft ball of dough.
• Cover with a piece of greaseproof, foil or clingfilm and refrigerate for about an hour.
• Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured board so that it is large enough to fit a deep 25cm diameter metal tart inches
• Lift the pastry up with the help of a rolling pin and drape over the tart tin.
• Gently push the pastry into the corners of the tin and up the sides, patching any holes and tears where necessary.
• No one will ever know.
• Prick the pastry case all over with a fork, place a piece of greaseproof paper on top of the pastry, and weight it down with something like beans or rice.
• Rest the pastry in the fridge while the oven gets to 350°F
• Cut a deep cross in the top of each fig.
• Bake the tart case for about twenty-five minutes until it is firm and somewhat dry to touch.
• It should be the colour of a custard cream.
• Remove the greaseproof paper and beans.
• Leave the pastry to cool a little, then place the figs in snugly, squeezing each on as you so do to open it up.
• Stuff little spoonfuls of mascarpone into the open figs.
• Drizzle with honey.
• Mix the crème fraîche with the egg yolks and sugar and pour over the fruit.
• Bake for 35 minutes until the edges of the pastry have browned slightly and the juices have combined with the creamy bits to give a sort of wobbly custard.
• Leave to cool and set slightly for fifteen minutes before eating.