Caxton magazines staffCooking challenges are part of the fun when food marketer Judy Sendzul of Omega Foodworks (omegafoodworks.com) and her friends get together
INGREDIENTS
- 1 x 500g box Woolworths all butter puff pastry
- 250g crème fraiche, to serve
For the lime curd filling:
- zest of 5 limes, finely grated
- 125ml lime juice
- 230g castor sugar
- 4 whole eggs
- 6 egg yolks
- 200g butter
For the strawberry compote:
- 250g fresh strawberries, preferably small
- 100g white sugar
- juice of ½ a lime
- 15ml honey
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. To prepare the pastry shell: cut the puff pastry into a circle about 1cm bigger that your non-stick pie dish. Press the pastry into the pie dish and refrigerate to set. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the pastry has puffed up and is just starting to colour. Remove from the oven and push the centre of the pastry down with a spoon.
3. To make the filling: place the lime zest, juice, sugar, yolks and eggs into a pot over a low heat and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add half the butter and continue whisking until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the rest of the butter and continue whisking until the mixture eventually thickens. Remove from heat and continue whisking until luke warm. At this stage the mixture should be a thickset custard.
4. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C. Spoon the lukewarm lime curd filling into the half-baked pastry shell and bake for a further 8–10 minutes until the top has browned. Allow to cool before serving.
5. To make the strawberry compote: rinse the berries and place in a saucepan with the sugar. Heat over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook until the liquid around the berries is syrupy; the berries should remain intact and not break up. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and honey. Allow to cool.
6. Slice the lime tart into generous pieces and serve each one with a dollop of crème fraiche and a spoon of strawberry compote.
Chef’s tip: The strawberry compote can be made well in advance and will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
This recipe serves 8.
