Tart a la Bouille

From Chef Ben Thibodeaux at Tableau.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients for custard:

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped (save the hull of the bean for anything from storing in sugar, or rice, or salt for that matter. Whatever you put it in will pick up the vanilla flavor over time)

1 whole egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

5 tbsp. corn starch

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

Method for custard:

1. In a heavy bottom pot combine milk, cream, and vanilla. Heat mixture over medium heat until hot; but do not boil. You’ll know it’s ready when a light skin forms over the top.
2. In a medium stainless steel or pyrex bowl combine egg, sugar, and starch and whisk to combine thoroughly.
3. Temper about a cup or so of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Then add another cup while whisking and then another … The idea is to get the temperature of the egg mixture up slowly so as to not scramble your egg.
4. Now add the warmed egg and milk mixture back to the pot and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken, which will happen pretty quickly.
5. Once the mixture reaches a soft boil, that’s as thick as it is ever going to get without reducing. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
6. Whisk in the softened butter, transfer custard to a shallow baking dish, cover flush with plastic wrap, and place in freezer or refrigerator to cool thoroughly. Now on to the dough!

Ingredients for crust:

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 lb. unsalted butter, softened (easiest way to soften butter is to pull it out of the refrigerator about an hour before you plan on using it)

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped (use the other half of the vanilla bean from the custard)

2+1/2 tbsp. baking powder

2+1/4 cups of all purpose flour

Method for crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla bean for about 3 minutes or until everything is nice and smooth with no big lumps of anything.
3. Using a pastry knife/ dough cutter, add baking powder and flour all at once, cutting into the wet ingredients until a dough ball forms that is just barely “not” sticky to the touch. Transfer dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap up securely and place in freezer or refrigerator to chill, about 30 minutes.
4. Dust a clean surface with a scant amount of flour and gently roll out into as best a circle as you can, about ¼ inch thick. Invert a 9-inch pie pan on top of the dough and flip over the whole bit so that the pan is on the bottom and the dough is hanging over the edges of the pan. It’s all part of the plan.
5. Now pour the cooled custard into the dough-lined pan. Gently fold the excess dough that is hanging over the edges of the pan towards the center of the pan, taking care not to fuss too much about how it looks. You should not try to cover up all the custard; you want some to show in the center.
6. Bake for 45 minutes till the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature, then transfer to refrigerator to chill thoroughly before serving.
7. Spoon or squirt room temperature spiced rum caramel sauce over tart (recipe below).

New Orleans Spiced Rum Caramel

Yields 2+1/2 cups

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup + 1 tbsp. cream
2 tbsp. New Orleans Spiced Rum
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. cold butter, unsalted

Method:

1. In a large heavy saucepot, add the sugar and water and cook on high heat until sugar dissolves and amber color is reached.
2. Remove from heat and add cream carefully, whisking to combine.
3. Return the mixture to the stove (on medium heat) and cook until thick, approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and stir in New Orleans spiced rum, vanilla, and butter. Cool.

NOTE: Additional sauce can be stored in the refrigerator. Sauce can be reheated in a double boiler, then cooled to room temperature.