Sichuan and treacle custard tart

Gareth Whitton's take on the classic custard tart adds an unexpected layer of intrigue to the filling with notes of Sichuan peppercorn and treacle. The result is a familiar dessert with an unexpected edge, one that will leave guests wondering what the secret ingredient is!

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1:10 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Stream free On Demand

The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

series • 

Cooking

PG

series • 

Cooking

PG

Ingredients

• 150 g plain flour
• 75 g butter, cold, diced
• 2 g salt
• 35 g cold water
• 450 g thickened cream
• 60 g thick cream
• 85 g cream cheese
• 110 g brown sugar
• 50 g treacle
• 15 g Sichuan peppercorns
• 240 g egg yolks (about 14 eggs)

Chilling time: 1 hour. Standing time: 15 minutes. Cooling time: 1-2 hours

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (fan-forced).
2. Mix the flour, butter and salt together by hand, a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or blitzed in a food processor until the mixture forms a coarse crumb texture. Gradually add the cold water until the mixture forms a thick dough. Shape into a disc and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Once chilled, roll out to a 35 cm circle, 3 mm thick, then place into a 24 cm round shallow quiche tin and chill for a further 30 minutes. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork, then line with foil or baking paper, then fill with rice (or baking beads). Bake for 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Trim the edges with a vegetable peeler to get a nice, crisp tart edge.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 120˚C (fan-forced). Heat the creams, cream cheese, sugar, treacle and peppercorns in a medium saucepan. Once boiled, turn off heat, cover and allow the peppercorns to infuse in the cream for a further 15 minutes.
5. Strain the mixture, then return to a simmer in a cleaned saucepan. Gently whisk a small quantity of the hot cream into the egg yolks, then whisk the tempered yolks into the cream mixture. Blitz the mixture with a stick blender and then strain into a large jug. Once the mixture has settled, use a ladle to remove any bubbles from the surface of the custard mixture.
6. Place the tart shell into the oven, then pour the prepared custard into the shell. Use a blowtorch to remove any bubbles from the surface of the custard, then bake for 30 minutes, or until the custard is set with a light wobble in the centre. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then slice and serve.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.