Fresh Strawberry Tart

Don't wait until Wimbledon for this one. Make it as soon as the strawberries appear in the shops for a real summer treat that tastes as good as it looks. You can make the pastry case up to two days ahead of time, then fill just before serving.

A strawberry tart topped with whole glazed strawberries sits on a glass cake stand, looking like it belongs in one of the Hairy Bikers' perfect pies recipes.

Fresh strawberry tart | 📷 Cristian Barnett

Info

Serves
8 - 10
Prep time
About one hour (including chilling)
Cooking time
35 - 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 250ml good-quality ready-made vanilla custard (from the chiller cabinet)
  • 300ml double cream
  • 600g strawberries, hulled and cut into halves or quarters
  • 4 tbsp redcurrant jelly
  • 2 tbsp water

Sweet shortcrust pastry

  • 250g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
  • 75g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 25g icing sugar
  • 1 medium egg, beaten
  • NB: You’ll need a 23cm loose-based, fluted tart tin

Method

  1. Place the tart tin on a baking sheet. To make the pastry, put the flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the beaten egg and blend until the mixture starts to come together in a ball. Shape into a slightly flattened ball. If you prefer to make your pastry by hand, see page 337.

  2. Transfer the pastry to a sheet of baking parchment lightly dusted with sifted flour and roll into a circle about the thickness of a £1 coin. Lift the pastry gently into the tart tin, then push it into the base and sides of the tin and leave the excess overhanging the edge. Cut off a small amount of the overhanging pastry to keep for patching the cooked tart if necessary. Prick the base lightly with a fork and chill for 30 minutes.

  3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Bake the pastry case blind for 25 minutes (see page 358), then remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for a further 5–10 minutes. Trim off any excess pastry with a sharp knife. If the pastry has any holes, simply patch with the reserved pastry and pop the pastry case back in the oven for a few minutes. Leave to cool before filling.

  4. To make the filling, put the custard and cream in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 3–4 minutes or until the mixture thickens and holds in stiff peaks. Spoon the custard mixture into the tart case. Scatter the strawberries over the creamy filling. Melt the redcurrant jelly with the water in a small saucepan over a medium heat, stirring constantly. Brush the melted jelly over the strawberries to glaze. Leave the tart in the tin until just before serving – chill in the fridge if leaving for longer than 30 minutes.

  5. To serve, place the tin on an upturned saucepan or bowl that is slightly smaller than the loose base and gently lower the sides. Loosen the pastry base with a palette knife and slide the tart onto a serving dish – take great care as the pastry is very delicate. Serve immediately.