The wicked zing of a Lemon tarte combined with a hint of sweet tasting Raspberry Sorbet which has been infused with the highest quality Pinkster Gin is sure to be a treat for anyone with a sweet tooth – or a love for great tasting Gin…
Number of people the dish serves: 8
Time: 30 minutes cooking and 90 minutes prep
Ingredients:
For the pastry
1 pack of sweetcrust ready rolled pastry
OR
180g plain flour
100g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
25g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
For the filling
5 eggs
125ml double cream
250g caster sugar
4 lemons, juice and zest
For the sorbet
500g fresh raspberries
1 lemon, juiced
50ml Pinksters gin
150ml cold water
125g caster sugar
10g glucose
Cooking Instructions:
For the pastry
To make the pastry, place the flour, butter and icing sugar into a food processor. Pulse until it becomes a breadcrumb texture and add the egg yolk. Pulse until it combines. If it’s too dry, add a teaspoon of cold water and blend until it comes together as a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, grease a 20cm fluted tart tin. Lightly flour the worktop and roll out the pastry, turning 90 degrees and rolling from the other side until around half a centimeter thick. Place in the tin and push into the fluted edge. If the pastry breaks, simply push fresh pastry into the holes or cracks. Prick the base with a fork and return to the fridge for 10 minutes to chill.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Line the tart with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 12-15 minutes then lift out the parchment and beans. Carefully trim the excess pastry from the sides using a sharp knife. Return the empty pastry case to the oven for another 10 minutes or until it is light brown colour. Reduce the oven to 170C.
For the filling
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Saving aside 25g of caster sugar, add the rest of the ingredients and mix until they are all well combined.
Pour the filling mixture the pastry case. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until just set but with a slight wobble in the center. Leave to cool slightly then, when the pastry seems firm enough, remove the tart from the tin.
Dust with the remaining caster sugar and using a blowtorch, brulee the top. If you don’t have a blowtorch, you can simply dust with icing sugar.
For the sorbet
Place the raspberries, lemon juice and gin in a blender and blend until smooth. Pass through a sieve to remove the seeds and reserve in a bowl.
Heat the water, sugar and glucose on the stove until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool and pour into the raspberry puree and mix. Chill in the fridge and place in an ice cream machine until smooth and set.
To Plate
Place a slice of the tart on a plate and a scoop of the sorbet on top or to one side. If you have any spare raspberries, use them as a garnish.
Tony’s Cooking Tip:
Use ready rolled pastry to save yourself a job when making the base. The sorbet can be made without an ice cream maker by placing in a Tupperware and freezing, then blending and refreezing to give a smooth and crystal free texture.
About Tony Rodd (MasterChef Finalist 2015)
Originally from a Greek-Cypriot family, but brought up in London and Essex, Tony learnt to cook in the kitchens of his mother and grandmother spending his youth cooking slow, one-pot dishes reminiscent of the traditional Greek fare. On entering MasterChef, Tony adapted his cooking style to accommodate the faster cooking times and delicate presentation needed for the show.
Tony developed his love for gin long before the craft gin revolution the UK is experiencing! Playing cards with a group of friends weekly, their drink of choice was gin and it soon became quite competitive to who could bring the best/most unusual gin to the gatherings.
On MasterChef Tony forged a name for himself with his desserts and chocolate work. Dubbed “the master chocolatier” by Gregg Wallace, he has spent his time since the competition honing his skills in the pastry kitchen. Having had success with desserts, Tony found a fondness for chocolate work and has been creating stunning puddings that wow both the eye and the palate.
Since finishing the show, Tony has set up a private catering business cooking dinner parties for clients in their own home. Working on setting up his first restaurant “Copper & Ink”, Tony is currently planning a Modern British dining room with Scandinavian influences in the heart of Blackheath which is planned to open late 2017. The gins on offer will be of the best the UK has to offer.
Tony’s first book, ”Well Dressed Plates” is designed for the home cook looking to create restaurant style dishes in their home. You will find Tony on a number of TV shows across the various networks, cooking locally sourced produce and advising on food ventures across the breadth of the UK.
About Pinkster Gin
Stephen, the founder of Pinkster Gin was told by his Doctor to avoid yeast and sugar based drinks (including beers and wines), Stephen took it upon himself to rise against convention and reject the grape at meal time and embrace the juniper berry. This led to countless hours being spent on fusing various botanicals in order to craft the perfect Gin, and after working his way through his entire Fruit bowl, he decided Raspberry was the best tasting.
Juniper, Raspberries and Black Peppercorn are the 3 known botanicals in Pinkster, but there are 5 in total which give it it’s dry, yet sweet taste with a peppery finish. Stephen’s willingness to think outside the box and stick true to his unique ideas leave Pinkster Gin going from strength to strength. But don’t just take our word for it… Pinkster Gin won overall best Contemporary Gin at The Gin Guide Awards 2017. This is especially prestigious as you can’t actually enter the awards. The judges scour the market for the best of breed across the nine categories.
