About the Recipe
Born completely out of my theory-crafting, this tart is a delicious tart that I think highlights how certain ingredients are a lot more flexible than we think they are.
It is born out of one meal I had on the coast near Rome in Ostia, as I remember being served strawberries with my starter of tuna tartar and having basil with my strawberry ice-cream. Combining these two concepts of questioning what course certain dishes pertain to and the beautiful flavours basil and strawberry can create, I have created this simple tart. It is not particularly difficult but does require a bit of patience here and there.
Ingredients
For the pastry
200g flour
100g butter (diced, has to be kept cold)
A tiny amount of milk/water
Optional: sugar (depending on how sweet you like it, roughly 20g if you dont really want it to be sweet but want it to be recognised as a 'dessert' pastry; up to 50g if you want it noticeably sweet. I suggest you make it more savoury than sweet as the rest of the dish is quite sweet) and some dried basil (aesthetics more than taste to be honest)
For the cream
15g basil (half the packet)
300ml whipping cream
20-30g Icing sugar
For the tanghulu inspired strawberry
1 box (roughly 200 ish g strawberries)
70g sugar
15g basil (other half of the packet)
Water to make the syrup
Large container filled with icy water
Preparation
For the pastry
Combine flour and butter: use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until it looks like sand and there are no lumpy regions of butter left (add sugar at this stage). Try to avoid melting the butter as it will affect the gluten making process. Add a small amount of water/milk and mix in using a spoon/fork/knife. Lightly knead just until it becomes homogenised (add basil at this stage). Wrap it in cling film then place in the fridge for 30 minutes before using.
Use cookie cutters roughly the size of your pie dish if you're using mini ones like I did. If not, roll out to roughly the size of your dish then drape over. Press the pastry into the corners using the back of your hand and make tiny holes all over using a fork. If using a large dish you may need to use pie weights to ensure it doesn't create an uneven surface but in a small dish it should be fine. Bake for around 30 mins at 200C or until lightly golden. Remove and let cool completely before using cream as it may cause the cream to melt.
For the cream
You have options.
You can either steep the basil in the cream sort of like brewing a tea, then cooling it down overnight in the fridge and straining it then whipping it up the next day.
Alternatively, cut the basil into very small pieces and mix into the cream before whipping.
Mix in the icing sugar after whipping, taste it and adjust to your desired sweetness.
For the strawberries
Make a simple syrup using half the basil, sugar and water. Reduce it until it creates sharp lines when you pass your finger through it on the back of a spoon (it should be cool enough to touch when you attempt to do this as this will give you a better indication of its consistency once it cools)
Cut your strawberries into desired shape and size. Either you can put them all on a stick and dip it in (although this may make it difficult to make them into individual pieces) or you can just put the whole lot in (a few at a time) and use a fork to fish them out. Once they have been dipped, place in cold water. If you use the latter method, this might get messy but I think it's easier and requires a lot less equipment.
For presentation
Place some of the cream on the cooled pastry to the best of your ability. You can get perfectly acceptable results using a spoon so don't go out to buy a piping bag just for this recipe.
Then neatly place the cut bits of strawberry however you like.
Place a single piece of basil on top (if you feel inclined to do so). Probably best to remove it before eating.