TART SHELL
90g [⅓ cup + 1 tbsp] unsalted butter
188g [1½ cup] all-purpose flour
15g [1½ tbsp] powdered sugar
45g [3 tbsp] cold water
EGGLESS LEMON CURD
120g [½ cup] water
60g [¼ cup] whole milk
100g [½ cup] caster sugar
60g [¼ cup] plain yogurt
20g [2½ tbsp] cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp tumeric powder OR few drops of yellow food colourings
½ tsp tsp vanilla extract
15g [1 tbsp] lemon juice
Deco: Edible gold leaves
Instructions:
TART SHELL
In a food processor, add in the butter, flour and powdered sugar.
Pulse a few times or until they combine well, just like sand.
Then add in the cold water, and pulse again until they come together like a dough.
Roll it out on a piece of parchment paper about 3-4 mm thick. Then cover the surface with another piece of parchment paper to prevent drying.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven at 170˚ C/338˚ F.
Grease the 6 muffin cups. (turn the muffin tray around)
Use a ring cutter (diameter slightly bigger than the muffin cup size).
Lay the cut-out pastry on the muffin cup. Gently press the sides down.
Prick holes on the pastries with a fork to prevent air trapped.
Bake in preheated oven at 170˚ C/338˚ F for 12 minutes.
Place the tart shells on a baking tray (turn it around). Bake at 170˚C/338˚F for another 15 minutes.
Let the tart cool completely.
EGGLESS LEMON CURD
In a milk pot, add water, milk, sugar, yogurt, cornstarch, salt and turmeric. Give them a quick mix to combine.
Cook over a medium heat until the mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat.
Add in vanilla extract and lemon juice. Mix until well combined.
Strain the mixture.
Cover with cling film touching the surface to prevent formation of skin.
Let it cool completely before using.
Why France's most elaborate and macabre recipe is back on the menu
Where Rouen's version of the sauce, la sauce Rouennaise, has elements that are prepared in the kitchen beforehand, the sauce at La Tour d'Argent is prepared entirely in front of the guest. Premier Maitre de l'Hotel Olivier Jacquin is proud to share the process, explaining that it begins tableside with the carving of the roasted duck.
First, he says, the skin is intricately removed with tweezers and then the fillets are sliced from the breast. Next, the duck legs are removed and taken back to the kitchen to be roasted further for the second part of the dish. As I watch, Jacquin places the remaining carcass in the central cavity of the press and turns the wheel, its spout delivering a scarlet drizzle of blood. This is added to the heart and liver in a silver dish atop a silver stove. Next, in goes a glass of the finest cognac and a glass of Madeira wine, and Jacquin whisks it gently over the heat as it thickens – the blood serving as the emulsifier. Then the brown, velvety sauce is gently spooned over the fillets on their silver platter and served to the table alongside the lightest of pommes soufflées (French fried potatoes).
When I taste the duck, the fillets are so tender, I barely need to chew; the sauce is velvety smooth and rich with whispering aromas of cognac and Madeira; and the pommes soufflés are the perfect contrast – the light crispy puffed potato pillows crack on my tongue. This part of the dish would easily be rich and filling enough, but there's more to come. The second course is the roasted legs, which are so delicate that the meat falls apart on the fork. I take each bite with a soupçon of the accompanying tarragon-flecked, egg yolk-rich Béarnaise sauce, and I grin with the decadence of it all.
As I finish the meal, I am presented with a certificate: every duck served at La Tour d'Argent since 1890 has a number. Mine is 1,190,337, inscribed on a souvenir postcard, the restaurant's name is embossed in silver with a cartoon duck serving a silver cloche. With my waistline bursting, my gaze returns to the view of the River Seine. I conclude that the dish has had quite the journey through four centuries and along the rivers' loops from Duclair, when it was a hunter's feast in the forest.
This Berry Cream Tart is a delectable and refreshing dessert suitable for any occasion. The combination of sweet whipped cream and tart berries will delight your taste buds.
This Berry Cream Tart is a delectable and refreshing dessert suitable for any occasion. The combination of sweet whipped cream and tart berries will delight your taste buds. Made from Tart Shell, Vanilla Extract, Berries, Powdered Sugar, Heavy Cream.
