Gooseberry and Custard Tart

We all love a good tart!  I grow beautiful crimson gooseberries, and you can see the slightly sour juice just bursting out of them – somehow it is symbolic of a hot summer, and the gooseberry season is just about to start, so I can't wait to be making it again.   One of my sons doesn’t eat custard, but ate this without realising (sorry John!).  Serve hot with ice cream.  It was also surprisingly good cold.

Gooseberry and Custard Tart

Gooseberry and Custard Tart

Sweet shortcrust:

8oz/225g plain flour, sifted
4oz/110g butter, diced
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 large egg yolk and 2-3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
14oz/400g gooseberries, topped and tailed
1oz/25g caster sugar
½ pint/280ml double cream
3 large egg yolks
few drops vanilla extract

Make the pastry by hand or in the processor.  Don’t add all the water until you are sure you need it.  Rest the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes.   Line a 9” loose base flan tin with the pastry and prick the base with a fork before putting it back into the fridge for 20 minutes.    Heat the oven to 200 deg and put in a baking tray to heat.   Bake the tart blind on the tray (fill the case with foil/baking parchment and beans and bake for 15 minutes). 

Remove the tart case from the oven, take out the foil/parchment, then turn the oven down to 170ºC.  Keeping the case on the baking tray, tip in the gooseberries. Beat up the sugar, cream, yolks and vanilla in a jug and pour around the gooseberries.  Bake for approx. 45 minutes until the filling has set.    Eat hot or cold.