Cream of pomegranate tart
This tart is the perfect balance of flavours, as the juice of the pomegranate cuts through the creamy filling. This recipe provides a nice alternative to the more common tart varieties.
For the cream:
• 400 ml pomegranate juice
• 100 ml water
• 100 ml lemon juice
• 200g caster sugar
• 50g corn starch
For the shortcrust pastry:
• 300g flour
• 120g cold butter, cubed
• 2 eggs
• 100g icing sugar
• ½ tsp baking powder
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
For the meringue:
• 3 egg whites
• 7 tbsp icing sugar
1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Lightly grease a tart or quiche pan.
3. Make the shortcrust pastry by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and rubbing them together with fingertips. Do not overwork the dough. Roll into a ball, flattening it slightly, and cover with cling wrap. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Roll the pastry out to 5 mm in thickness and line the base and sides of tart or quiche pan. The edges need to be relatively high as they will contain the cream and meringue.
5. Prick the base with a fork: this will prevent the centre from puffing up. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
6. To make the cream, remove the seeds from the pomegranate and pass them through a mouli. In a saucepan, whisk the corn starch with the water; then add the sugar, lemon juice and pomegranate juice.
7. Continue stirring with a hand whisk over a low heat to allow cream to thicken. It should resemble jelly which will firm up when left to cool.
8. While the cream is cooling, prepare the meringue. Whisk the three egg whites with the icing sugar until soft peaks form.
9. Pour the pomegranate cream into the tart case and spread evenly. Spread the meringue over the surface. Return to oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
10. Allow to cool. Leave in fridge until ready to serve. This tart is best eaten cold.