Rick Stein’s custard tart

Method

1. Put the flour, sugar and a pinch of fine salt in a food processor, then pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Pulse in the beaten egg and 2 tsp milk until the dough starts to come together, adding a little more milk if needed. (Or, rub the flour, sugar, salt and butter together with your fingertips in a mixing bowl until it resembles breadcrumbs. With a dinner knife, mix in the egg and enough milk to form a dough.) Shape the dough into a disc, wrap and chill for 1 hour (see Make Ahead).
2. Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to a 30cm circle. Use to line the tin, leaving a little overhang. Chill again for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the cream and vanilla paste in a pan until just steaming, but don’t let it boil. In a bowl, whisk the sugar and yolks until pale and frothy (see tip). Carefully pour the hot cream over the yolks, whisking all the time to prevent them from scrambling. Set aside.
4. Line the tart case with baking paper, fill with baking beans/raw rice and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans/rice, trim any excess pastry and bake for 5-6 minutes more until the edges are biscuit coloured. Leave to cool (see Make Ahead).
5. Turn down the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2. Pour the cooled custard into the cooled tart case and bake for 40-45 minutes until just set at the edges with a nice wobble in the centre. It will firm up as it cools. While the custard is still hot, grate over plenty of fresh nutmeg to cover the top, then leave to cool for 1 hour. Remove from the tin and either serve immediately with crème fraîche and seasonal fruits or chill for at least 4 hours (see Make Ahead).