Egg custard tart, cranberry & fig compote

Take to the kitchen this Christmas and make your very own egg custard tart, cranberry and fig compote, courtesy of The Olde Bell's pastry chef.

For the Pastry

125g Plain Flour
65g Diced Butter
30g Caster Sugar
1 Egg 

Method

Place the flour, sugar and butter into a bowl and rub with finger tips until in crumbs, add egg and work until a nice paste has formed.
Place in fridge, cling filmed for 1 hour.
Line a 9in flan tin with butter, roll the pastry until 1/4cm thick and line the case.
Take a little excess paste and press into the corner of the tin.
Rest for ½ hour, blind bake the tart with baking beans inside for 30 minutes on 160 degrees, remove beans and egg wash. 

For the filling

1¼ pts whipping cream
75g egg
270g egg yolks
135g caster
1 vanilla pod
1 nutmeg 

Method

Place the cream , sugar, vanilla into a pan and bring to the simmer.
Meanwhile whisk the eggs and the yolks in a bowl.
Pour over the cream mix while whisking, leave to stand for ten minutes.
Strain mix into a jug.
Have the oven set to 120 degrees, pour mix into tart case as high as u dare!
Cook for ten minutes then reduce temperature to 110 and cook for ten minutes.
Finally reduce the temperature to 105 degrees and cook for 10 -15 minutes until the mix is set in the middle.
Remove from oven and grate 1 whole nutmeg over the tart and leave to cool until cold.

For the Compote

200g Fresh or frozen cranberries
3 semi dried figs, 1cm dice
200ml orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
½ zest orange
200g caster sugar

Method

Place all the ingredients apart from the sugar into a pan and boil until the cranberries begin to burst.
Turn down to a simmer and when all the cranberries have burst add the sugar, cook for a further 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour into a container and cool.

To serve

Cut a nice wedge (10 per tart  as a recommendation) of tart and place in centre of the plate. Add 2 spoons of warm compote over and around the tart. Enjoy!