Miso Pumpkin Tart

Something silky, sweet and surprisingly salty.

Ingredients

300g plain flour (plus more for rolling)

150g unsalted butter

70g icing sugar

3g salt

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp cold water

600g thickened cream

150g light brown sugar

4g vanilla bean paste

30g white miso

200g cooked and mashed kabocha pumpkin (baked preferred)

200g egg yolks

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare the middle rack for baking.

2. For the shortcrust, mix flour, icing sugar and salt in a stand mixer fixed with a paddle attachment until homogenous. On medium speed, combine butter until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles wet sand. Add egg yolks to bring the pastry dough together, if the mixture is too dry add the tablespoon of cold water sparingly. Place pastry into a ziplock bag and flatten, let rest in the freezer for half an hour.

3. For the custard, combine cream, brown sugar, vanilla, miso and cooked pumpkin in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Let come to a gentle simmer then switch heat off immediately. Let infuse for twenty minutes. Once cooled to room temperature, whisk the infused cream with egg yolks together then set aside in a spouted vessel.

4. Generously dust kitchen counter and cold pastry dough with plain flour. From the centre to the edges, flatten dough with a rolling pin until roughly a 3mm thickness. Dust with extra flour, spin or flip the pastry dough intermittently to avoid sticking. If the dough begins to stick, place on a sheet-pan and return to freezer for five minutes before continuing.

5. Once thickness is achieved, roll the generously floured dough upon your rolling pin then uncoil over a 23cm diameter tart tin. Gently lift the edges to press the dough into its inner corners. Use a sharp paring knife to remove excess dough in a swiping motion with blade perpendicular to the tin’s edge. Cover with a crumpled sheet of baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for twenty minutes before removing beans, then return for another fifteen until dark golden brown.

6. Remove the tart from oven and leave oven door ajar until temperature falls to 125 degrees. Return empty tart shell to the middle rack then pour pumpkin custard into shell full to the brim. Bake for one hour or until custard is set with a gentle ripple in the middle when gently shaken. Place in refrigerator to cool.

7. To serve, remove the tart from its tin. Using a sharp paring knife, score the edges of the tart to mark eight slices; from halves, quarters then eighths. Heat up a large knife gently before slicing through the custard and base along designated marks. Use an offset spatula to plate.