We love the rhubarb and custard tart I make in the Spring so come summertime I like to do the same with gooseberries. I think it may be a recipe by Delia Smith that I have adapted to suit us.
I make a basic shortcrust pastry: 200 g of plain flour, 100 g of butter and 3 tablespoons of caster sugar mixed to the consistency of breadcrumbs and bound together with a little water. I then roll the pastry out in a greased, loose-based tart dish, pricking it with a fork to avoid air bubbles in the tart.
I spread about 400 g of gooseberries (washed, topped and tailed) on top of the pastry then make the custard by mixing 100 ml of crème fraîche, 150 g of caster sugar and 2 large egg yolks in a bowl. I then pour it evenly over the gooseberries and cook the tart in a preheated oven (180°C) for 40 to 45 minutes.
I recommend to leave it to stand for a good twenty minutes before serving as the filling is rather runny when hot. In fact, we prefer to eat this tart cold when the custard is fully set. As with all custard fruit tarts, the pastry bottom may soften if not eaten all straight away but it is certainly not soggy when it comes out of the oven.
A glass of sweet, dessert wine like a Premières Côtes de Bordeaux or a Montbazillac, chilled, is the perfect accompaniment to this gooseberry tart.
