The Oat Crust Tart with Zested Crème Patissiere & Charred Nectarines is a real show stopper and the perfect dish to end an amazing dinner party on. The addition of edible flowers always make for the prettiest of finishes. Any dish with an indulgent layer of crème patissiere is a favourite in my books and with the charred nectarines, you really can’t go wrong. The jumbo oats mixed with coconut, butter and sugar create an almost flapjack like crust which couldn’t work better with this dish. This is absolutely worth giving a go at home, you won’t regret it. The smell of cooking oats is almost as enticing as the tart itself.
Preparation Time 30 – 40 minutes
Cooking Time 25 – 30 minutes
Serves 8 – 12
Ingredients:
Oat Crust:
(28cm tart tin)
180g Butter – Melted
550g Mornflake Jumbo Oats – Lightly blitzed
60g Desiccated coconut
Zest of ½ lemon
Sprinkle of salt flakes
260g Caster sugar
Crème Patissiere:
8 Organic eggs yolks
200g Caster sugar
50g Plain flour (or cornflour) – Sifted
700ml Milk
1 Vanilla pod – Scored down the middle, seeds scraped out
Fruit topping:
5 – 6 Small nectarines – cut in half, stone carefully removed
3 Large nectarines – cut in half, stone carefully removed
Selection of edible flowers to garnish
Method:
Begin by pre heating your oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Lightly blitz your oats then add in your melted butter and sugar. Stir until all oats are evenly coated and when you press the back of a spatula down the oats should begin to hold the shape- add more butter if necessary until this happens. Next evenly spread your oats over the base of the tin and up the sides, pressing down firmly so that the oats stick together and form and the case. Let this rest in the fridge for half an hour which will help it hold it’s shape when baking. Once chilled transfer to the oven and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes or until golden then remove and allow to cool completely.
Next, get the crème patissiere made. Begin by adding both the milk and vanilla pod with the seeds in a saucepan over a medium heat, bring the milk almost to the boil then set to one side.
In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture begins to lighten and turn fluffy. Next add in the sifted flour, folding it into the egg and sugar mixture until it’s smooth. Once the milk has cooled for a minute or two gradually pour into the egg, sugar and flour mixture, whisking the whole time to ensure the sauce is smooth and there are no lumps. Next, pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over a medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon the whole time to avoid lumps forming. Cook until you have a thick smooth sauce that begins to hold its shape. Once cooked remove from the heat and cover with clingfilm to avoid a skin forming, transfer to the fridge once cooled. If lumps form you can pass it through a sieve.
For the charred nectarines, simply heat a griddle pan for several minutes over a high heat and place the nectarine flesh side down, allowing them to char for 3-4 minutes, then carefully turn and cook skin side down. They will stick a little which I don’t mind but you can always cook them on a sheet of parchment paper to avoid this.
Now all that’s left is to put everything together. Spoon the crème patissiere into the oat crust then place the charred nectarines on top, some face down some flesh side up. Sprinkle over your selection of edible flowers and serve.
This will keep refrigerated for several days.
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