Yuzu Custard Tart

Another dessert inspired by my trip to Japan. This time, it’s a gluten-free yuzu tart with a crisp shortcrust pastry, silky citrus filling and dollops of softly whipped cream.

My favourite ramen in Japan is Afuri’s yuzu shio ramen. I’ve attempted to make it at home, very inauthentically, so hopefully I’ll share my cheats version one day. We didn’t have access to fresh yuzu, and instead used a bottle of yuzu juice from our local Asian grocer. Naturally, this is how the tart came about.

The gluten-free pastry recipe is one I’ve shared numerous times before. When making this tart, I added some white sesame seeds into the dough, but didn’t love the texture and decided to keep it plain in the final version below. As usual, there are a few important notes:

• This recipe makes quite a generous amount of dough – enough for one large 25cm tart or approximately eight 8cm fluted tartlets. Any leftover dough can be wrapped well, frozen, and saved for another time.
• You can either make this recipe by hand (rubbing the cold butter into the flour) or using a food processor. I actually use a thermomix.
• There are quite a few different flours in this recipe, each playing an important role in providing structure and achieving the right texture and colour. I hope to simplify the recipe in the future, so please don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list!
• The xanthan gum helps give the dough some elasticity, but can be replaced with 1 tsp of psyllium husk.
• If the dough seems a little dry after adding the egg, add a couple of tablespoons of cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until it comes together.
• The dough should be easy to work with and when baked, does not have many cracks. If there are any cracks, I recommend patching it up with any leftover dough and the residual heat from the pastry should cook the dough.

For the filling, I wanted something more delicate and custard-like, with a lighter texture than a traditional lemon meringue tart, which tends to have a denser, more intensely flavoured curd. Whilst there is some lemon and lime juice in the filling, the overall flavour remains distinctly yuzu-forward. I find that the other citrus fruits simply help to brighten and round out the yuzu, without overpowering it. The recipe below is minimally adapted from Ruth’s meyer lemon bars, author of Cook til Delicious.

I considered finishing the tart with a passionfruit gel or a torched meringue, but ultimately settled on a simple vanilla whipped cream to let the yuzu shine. I recommend adding a dollop of cream when serving. The tart is best eaten just as the custard has set and cooled, since the pastry loses some of its crispness over time. Although, it is still delicious after a few days.

I hope you have a great week, and let me know if you have any questions!

Gluten-free Yuzu Custard Tart

Makes one 25cm tart. Filling recipe adapted from Cook til Delicious.

Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry

• 90g brown rice flour
• 90g sorghum flour
• 60g almond meal
• 50g tapioca flour, plus extra for dusting
• 90g icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 125g unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1cm cubes
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• Cold water, if needed

Yuzu Filling

• 190g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 small lime
• 5 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
• 150ml cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 75ml yuzu juice
• 50ml lemon juice
• 25ml lime juice

Whipped Cream

• 150ml cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

Shortcrust Pastry

1. Combine the brown rice flour, sorghum flour, almond meal, tapioca flour, icing sugar, and xanthan gum in a medium bowl or bowl of a food processor. Add the cubed butter and either rub in using your fingertips or, if using a food processor, pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg, and mix or process until a soft dough forms. If the dough seems dry and is not coming together, add some cold water a tablespoon at a time.
2. Tip the dough out onto a piece of cling film, and flatten it into a disc. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.
3. Remove the pastry from the fridge. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 3mm thick, and large enough to fit a 25cm-diameter tart tin. Lift pastry into the tin; press tightly into sides and trim the edge. Freeze the pastry for at least 15 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cover the pastry with baking paper, fill with dried beans or rice. Blind bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges. Remove paper and beans, and bake for a further 7-10 minutes until browned on the bottom.
5. Allow to cool for in the tin, and set aside as you prepare the filling.

Yuzu Filling

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the lime zest and caster sugar. Using your fingertips, rub the zest into the sugar to release the essential oils from the rind. Whisk in the eggs, egg yolk, cream, vanilla, and yuzu, lime and lemon juice.
3. Cook the custard mixture over medium-low heat, stirring and scraping the pan frequently, until it registers 70°C on a digital thermometer. Strain the custard into a measuring jug or vessel with a spout. Discard the zest. Skim the surface with a spoon to remove any air bubbles.
4. Place the cooled tart shell (still in the tin) on a baking sheet. Pour the custard into the tart shell, and remove any remaining bubbles. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges of the custard are set and centre has a slight wobble.
5. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Then, refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Do not cover the tart with cling flim; I just place a plate on top.

Assembly

1. Whip the cream and vanilla together to medium-soft peaks.
2. Cut the tart into slices. When ready to serve, dollop the whipped cream on top. The tart is best eaten immediately, after it has cooled and set. It can keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.