This delicious poached prune tart with a red wine glaze was one of the recipes I learned how to make on a wine cooking course weekend at African Relish in Prince Albert.
Serves 6
Crème patisserie
- 500 ml milk
- 1 vanilla pod, split in half, or a teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 6 egg yolks
- 100 g caster sugar
- 30 g flour
Bring the milk to a boil with the vanilla pod and allow to infuse for 10 minutes (turn off the heat once it starts to boil). Remove the pod (or add the vanilla extract). Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy and add the flour. Add the warm milk to this egg mixture and place back in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly until thick. Boil for two minutes and allow to cool before serving.
Prunes poached in red wine syrup
- 30 ripe prunes, stones removed and halved
- 500 ml water
- 500 ml red wine
- 1 tbs honey
- 50 ml sweet dessert wine
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 3 star anise
- Peel of one orange
- 3 cloves
- Pinch of ground Sichuan pepper (optional)
Place all the ingredients, except prunes, into a large pot. Boil for 30 minutes. Add the prunes and reduce heat to a simmer for about five minutes. Cook until the prunes are tender and then remove. Strain the liquid and pour it into the pot. Turn up the heat and reduce it to a glaze (thick and sticky). Add the dessert wine and allow to cool.
Sweet pastry
- 125 g flour
- Pinch of salt
- 60 g butter
- 60 g castor sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Sift the flour and salt together onto a cold work surface. Make a well in the centre. Add the rest of the ingredients into the centre. Mix the ingredients with your fingers. Using a palette knife, fold in the wet ingredients till they start to form wet dough. Draw the dough together and knead lightly until smooth. If the dough is dry, add a few drops of water. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for an hour. Roll the pastry out to a 3 mm thickness on a floured surface. Place into a flan tin and bake blind (cover with baking paper weighed down with rice or beans) for 20 minutes at 190° C. Loosen the edges immediately afterwards and allow to cool.
To assemble the tart, spoon the crème patisserie into the baked crust, top with poached prunes and pour over the glaze.
