If you’re into serious food and the latest food trends then you definitely should be watching the Great British Menu competition on BBC Lifestyle, where top chefs from the United Kingdom are cooking some of the most contemporary food around.  In the first series Marcus Wareing won the competition with his Custard tart recipe. This winning Custard tart was served as a dessert to the Queen and her guests at a banquet celebrating her 80th birthday.

Garibaldi biscuits

100g butter, melted in a saucepan

100g icing sugar, sifted

100g plain flour

100g egg whites

200g currants

Pastry

225g flour, plus extra for dusting

pinch of salt

1 lemon, zest only

150g butter

75g caster sugar

1 free-range egg yolk

1 free-range egg

Custard filling

9 free-range egg yolks

75g caster sugar

500ml whipping cream

freshly grated nutmeg

Garibaldi biscuits

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • Mix together the butter, icing sugar and flour until smooth. Slowly add the egg whites, stirring, until they are completely incorporated, then fold in the currants. The dough will be quite wet. Place in a small bowl and chill for at least one hour.
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    ne a baking tray with greaseproof paper, and spread the mixture out. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

  • Bake the biscuits for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. While soft cut into slices with a sharp knife. Leave to cool, then keep in an airtight tin.

Pastry

  • Turn the oven down to 170°C.
  • Rub together the flour, salt, lemon zest and butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar.
  • Beat together the egg yolk and whole egg and slowly add these to the flour mixture, mixing until the pastry forms a ball. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for two hours.
  • Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 2mm thickness. Use to line an 18cm flan ring placed on a baking sheet. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans, then bake blind for about 10 minutes or until the pastry is starting to turn golden brown. Remove the paper and beans, and allow to cool.

Custard filling

  • Turn the oven down to 130°C.
  • Whisk together the yolks and sugar. Add the cream and mix well. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a saucepan and heat to blood temperature.
  • Fill the pastry case with the custard, until 5mm from the top. Carefully place the Custard tart in the middle of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the custard appears set but not too firm. Remove the Custard tart from the oven and cover the surface liberally with grated nutmeg. Allow the Custard tart to cool to room temperature.
  • Before serving, warm the biscuits through in the oven for 5 minutes. Cut the Custard tart with a sharp knife and serve with the biscuits.

For more Marcus Wareing recipes click here

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