Bay leaves are an excellent tool for infusing dishes with a warm, floral note. They add depth and complexity to dishes without overpowering other flavours.
Bay and vanilla crème brûlée custard tart with poached pears
Ingredients:
For the tart case (or use bought sweet shortcrust)
200g plain flour
100g unsalted butter, diced
50g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
2–3 tbspn cold water
For the custard filling
600ml whipping cream
6 fresh bay leaves
6 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
Freshly grated nutmeg
4 tbspn caster sugar
Method:
In a large bowl, use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs and then stir through the icing sugar.
Add the egg yolk and cold water and mix until it comes together and forms a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 160˚C fan/180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 20cm (8in) tart tin. Trim off the excess dough, prick the base with a fork and then freeze for 15 minutes.
Blind bake the tart case by adding scrunched up parchment paper (so it fills the corners) and baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans, brush with beaten egg and bake for a further five minutes. This step ensures the base is sealed, so the filling won’t make it soggy. Set aside.
Make the custard filling by heating the whipping cream and bay leaves until almost boiling, then leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
Whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar, then pour over the infused cream. Strain into the tart case and grate over fresh nutmeg.
Reduce the oven temperature to 140˚C fan/160˚C/325˚F/gas mark 3 and bake the tart for 35–40 minutes, so the custard is set, but still has a wobbly centre. Allow the tart to cool completely and then chill for at least two hours.
Sprinkle an even layer of caster sugar over the chilled tart and use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelise the top, creating a crisp layer that will harden when it cools.
Serve the tart with poached pears (add a couple of bay leaves to your poaching liquor) or a fruit sorbet to balance the flavours.
-
How to make a rhubarb and Swiss meringue cake that's almost too pretty to eatMake the most of the last few stems of forced rhubarb.
-
The prettiest Easter eggs for 2025Warning: Don't read if hungry.
-
An Italian-inspired recipe for lemon-butter pasta shells with spring greens, ricotta and pangrattatoSpring greens are just about to come into their own, so our Kitchen Garden columnist reveals exactly what to do with them.
-
Curious Questions: What is the greatest April Fool's prank ever played?As April 1 looms, Martin Fone tells the tale of one of the finest stunts ever pulled off.
-
Tom Parker Bowles's Tour de Fromage, from creamy Camembert and spicy, pungent Époisses to the 'mighty, swaggering Roqueforts'The chef and food writer Tom Parker Bowles picks out his all-time favourite cheeses from across the Channel in France, from buxom, creamy Camembert to mighty, swaggering Roquefort.
-
'For here is pure noodle nirvana': How to make Tom Parker Bowles's favourite Thai soupThe best bit about south-eat Asian-inspired soups is the fact that you can make them entirely your own, from mellow and comforting to blow-your-head-off hot.
-
Gill Meller's recipe for wild garlic pestoThe appearance of wild garlic is a sure sign that spring is on the way. Make the most of it with this quick and easy recipe for 'intense' pesto.
-
Sarson's malt vinegar is the best British condiment to pair with chips — and we won't hear otherwiseVibrant, tangy and laced with a depth of flavour, Sarson’s malt vinegar is hard to beat — even in its 230th year.
