Lizzie’s Caramelised Pineapple Tart

Method

Step 1
Make the pastry. Tip the flour, salt and butter into a food processor. Blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Add the egg and water and blitz until the mixture comes together to form a rough dough. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and bring it together into a ball. Wrap it and chill it until needed.

Step 2
Caramelise the pineapple. Melt the butter in a frying pan set over a medium–high heat. Tip in the pineapple and sugar, stir to coat and cook for 5–8 minutes, until the chunks have softened and begin to caramelise.

Step 3
Tip the caramelised pineapple onto one of the the lined baking sheets and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Leave to cool completely.

Step 4
Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a disc 3mm thick and large enough to line the tart tin with a small overhang. Transfer the pastry disc to the tart tin and gently press it into the grooves to neatly line, leaving a slight overhang. Place the lined tart tin on the unlined baking sheet and place it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.

Step 5
Meanwhile, prepare the caramel custard. Heat the sugar with 2 tablespoons of water in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat, gently swirling the pan from time to time (but don’t stir), until the sugar dissolves.

Step 6
Increase the heat, bring the syrup to the boil and continue to cook, without stirring, until it turns an amber colour, then take the pan off the heat.

Step 7
Carefully stir in the cream and return the pan to the heat. Bring the caramel back to the boil and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes, until the caramel has thickened. Stir in the sea-salt flakes and leave to cool to room temperature.

Step 8
In a large mixing bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Gradually pour the cooled caramel into the yolks, whisking continuously. Set aside to cool completely.

Step 9
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6. Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill it with baking beans or rice. Bake blind the pastry case for 15 minutes, then remove the baking beans or rice and paper and bake for a further 10 minutes to dry out the base.

Step 10
Brush the tart base with the reserved egg white and return the case to the oven for a further 3 minutes to seal. Trim the edges of the tart with a sharp serrated knife to neaten.

Step 11
Lower the oven to 140°C/120°C fan/275°F/Gas 1. Pour the caramel custard into the pastry case and bake the tart for 40–50 minutes, until just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Leave to cool completely.

Step 12
Meanwhile, prepare the Chantilly cream. Using an electric hand whisk, whisk the cream, icing sugar and vanilla together to soft peaks. Spoon the cream into the piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and twist the end to seal. Set aside.

Step 13
To decorate, heat the sugar with 3 tablespoons of water in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat, gently swirling the pan from time to time (but don’t stir), until the sugar dissolves.

Step 14
Increase the heat, bring the syrup to the boil and continue to cook, without stirring, until it turns an amber colour, then take the pan off the heat.

Step 15
Drizzle the caramel on to the remaining lined baking sheet and leave it to set and harden. Once hardened, snap it into long shards and set aside.

Step 16
Pipe the Chantilly cream around the edge of the tart. Place a piece of pineapple in between the piping and then finish with the shards of caramel. Serve immediately.