I submitted this recipe to a We Olive recipe competition, let me know what you think and if you get a chance to try it out. I hope you like it, it’s one of my stand by curd recipes with a special twist.
One 8 Inch tart, approximately 6 servings
Tart Shell
1 3/4 cups flour
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup sugar
9 tablespoons butter
1 egg and pinch of salt for egg wash
Cream the butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the sugar and salt and mix in to incorporate. Between every addition, scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Add the egg and mix in for no more than one minute. Add the flour in 3 additions. Once all the flour is added, form the dough into a ball and press into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours minimum, can be chilled overnight.
Oil or butter the tart pan and roll out the chilled dough on a floured even surface. Be sure to constantly flour and rotate or flip the dough every few rolls in order to keep the dough from sticking. Place the dough in the tart pan and carefully press into the tart pan. Don’t stretch the dough, and use scrapes to fill in gaps, holes or rips that occur. You can cut the scrapes off the edges of the tart with a knife or roll the rolling pin over the tart pan. Prick the dough with a fork in the bottom a couple times and freeze for at least 30 minutes and can be frozen for up to a week.
Position the rack in the upper 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Place the frozen tart dough and pan on a cookie sheet and cover with parchment paper. Fill the parchment paper with pie weights, I use old dried beans or rice and keep them in the pantry for repeated use. Don’t fill to the rim, just enough to keep the dough from rising. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until it is set but not yet golden. Remove from the oven, remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Then brush with the egg wash and replace the pastry in the oven for approximately 2 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
Basil Lime Olive Oil Curd
1 tablespoon lime zest
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh basil
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 stick of butter (4 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons WeOlive Fresh Basil Olive Oil
Zest around 4 to 5 limes, be sure to avoid removing the pith (the white flesh between the green skin and the fruit’s meat) as the pith with give your curd a bitter taste. In a pot, whisk the zest, juice, basil, sugar, eggs and egg yolks together. put the cornstarch through a sieve as you put the appropriate amount into the mixture. This is important so the cornstarch doesn’t clump together and doesn’t get a chance to dissolve in the mixture and thicken it properly. Whisk in the cornstarch and place the pot over medium heat. whisk it occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn and let it come to a boil. Let it boil for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the olive oil and butter. Whisk in the oil and butter furiously until it is all incorporated in the hot curd. then pour the curd through a sieve into your cooled tart shell. It is important to sieve the curd so that the bits of egg that might cook, cornstarch lumps, basil leaves, zest and any burnt bits you might have got don’t go into your pretty tart. Once the tart shell is full, smooth the top with a spatula and chill the whole tart for at least 2 hours. If you have any extra curd (or if you’re like me and make a double batch of curd for every one tart shell) you can sieve the extra curd into a jar and chill for 2 hours. Use extra curd to spread on scones or jar it and give it as a gift!
Garnish your Basil Lime Tart with pomegranate seeds, fresh basil leaves and drizzle WeOlive Fresh Basil Olive Oil over the top of the tart so that it can impart the wonderful aroma.
