Rustic berry tart

 There's nothing quite like the flavour of fresh, in-season berries. Bursting with colour and intense flavour, they require only minimal intervention to give a dish the "Wow" factor. The French understand this concept well, creating subtle desserts and pastries that showcase the natural attributes of the fruit without excessive added sugar. For this recipe, I've used blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries because they're currently in season and abundant at my local market. You could choose just one or two of these, or any other berries you have at hand. Fresh is undoubtedly best, but if you're using frozen, thaw them in a single layer in the fridge to avoid damaging them - the cell structure of the berries will have lost some of its integrity and they can easily crush and dissolve into your crème pâtissière.

During my travels in France, I've always envied Myles' visits to the patisseries - sadly, I've found few gluten-free patisseries in rural France. But that hasn't deterred me from attempting to replicate that wow factor at home, using French techniques.

In this recipe, I've used store-bought gluten-free puff pastry sheets. You could just as easily use "ordinary" puff pastry sheets. While the gluten-free versions still offer a nice crunch, they certainly don't rise or "puff" like their gluten-containing counterparts. The details below include instructions to make about ½ cup of crème pâtissière - this is all you need for this tart. The recipe is scalable, so feel free to double or triple it if you're making other tarts or eclairs.

I can't explain the science behind brushing the pastry case base with reduced balsamic vinegar, but I can confirm it works wonders. Even after storing the tart in the fridge for three days, the gluten-free pastry retained its crunch and didn't turn soggy.

For all the details, please watch my video below.

Serves 6-8

• 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry (gluten free)

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tbl water

• 50 ml balsamic vinegar

• 1 tsp lime zest

• 1 tbl lime juice

• 1/2 cup crème pâtissière

• 250 g mixed fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blue berries)

• 90 g raspberry jam

Crème pâtissière

• 100 ml full cream milk

• 1/2 vanilla pod

• 20 g castor sugar

• 1 egg yolk

• 10 g cornflour

• 1/4 tsp butter

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and water.

Roll out the pastry on a slightly floured surface so that you can cut out a rectangle 30 cm x 15 cm.

Carefully roll the rectangle onto the rolling pin, and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush the edges with the egg yolk mixture. Using the left over pastry, cut 2 strips; 1.5 cm x 30 cm and 2 strips 1.5 cm x 15 cm to make a border. Place the strips on the brushed pastry base. Brush the strips with the egg yolk mixture. Prick the base of the tart all over, using a fork. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Whilst the pastry is chilling, prepare the crème pâtissière by placing the milk in a small saucepan. Scrape the vanilla seeds and place the seeds and pod in the milk. Gently heat until almost simmering. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Whisk the egg yolk and castor sugar until pale and creamy in colour and the sugar has dissolved. Gradually add the cornflour, whisking well to avoid any lumps.

Remove the vanilla pod from the milk.

Add half of the milk to the egg mixture and beat well. Transfer the egg mixture into the saucepan with the remainder of the milk. Over a low heat, stir continuously until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and continue to stir until it is smooth and thick.

Place the crème pâtissière in a bowl and rub the top with the butter. This prevents a skin forming,

Preheat oven to 160°C (fan forced).

Prepare berries - strawberries should be hulled and halved.

Bake the pastry case for 20 minutes until light golden brown. Carefully place on a wire rack to cool.

In a small saucepan, heat the balsamic vinegar until it has halved in volume. Brush the base of the tart with the balsamic reduction.

Add the lime zest and 1 tsp of the juice to the crème pâtissière and mix well.

To put the tart together, spread the crème pâtissière evenly over the base. Arrange the fruit as desired.

In a small saucepan warm the raspberry jam. If desired, push the jam through a fine sieve to remove any pips, and then brush over the fruit to glaze. Sprinkle the remaining lime juice and leave to set in a cool place for at least 30 minutes.

Updated July 2023