LOQUAT AND HONEY TART WITH JEREMY CHAN

"They have a tannic acidity on first bite, but then go on to have a plum, almost grape-like flavour while keeping a good, firm texture," he adds.

Loquats rarely travel far from Callosa d’en Sarria. When fully ripe, their skin is delicate and their flesh soft. This usually keeps them bound within their native growing region of Alicante and avoided by mainstream distributors, as they can be easily bruised in transit.

But ripe is the only way they should be eaten – this is when their flavour and texture are unparalleled. For a fleeting three-month season, we bring them to you as they should be: soft, golden, and bursting with tart-sweet flavour.

This seasonal tart by Jeremy Chan celebrates the Loquat’s bright acidity, layered with the earthy sweetness of slow-roasted sweet potatoes and finished with a caramel glaze.

LOQUAT AND HONEY TART

INGREDIENTS

For the filling

500g sweet potato
125g butter
80g almond flour
200g organic honey
160g milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon
10g sea salt

For the pastry

350g all-purpose flour
30g whole almonds
80g icing sugar
Pinch of sea salt
200g butter, chopped into cubes
1 egg
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons of iced water

For the Loquats

8 ripe Loquats
100g caster sugar
40g butter
50g apple juice
5g sea salt

METHOD

For the filling

1. Slow roast the sweet potatoes for two hours at 170°C.
2. Cool and blend with the rest of the ingredients until smooth.

For the pastry

1. Blend the whole almonds to a powder.
2. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add cold cubed butter and rub to crumb consistency.
3. Make well and add the eggs and then mix.
4. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and more only if needed (the less water the better).
5. Turn dough and press together to gather all crumbs. Shape into a disc then let it rest for an hour.
6. Preheat your oven to 180°C and let the dough sit at room temp for 20 mins so it’s soft enough to roll. Roll to coin thickness ensuring large enough to cover the whole tin with overhang.
7. Cut excess dough once pushed into the tin. Prick base all over then line it with greaseproof paper and fill with baking weights to the rim.
8. Bake for 15 mins.
9. Remove weights and bake again for another 7 mins.

For the Loquats

1. Slice the Loquats into 3mm slices, then in half again. Fill the tart shells with the filling and then layer with the Loquats.
2. To make the caramel, melt the sugar until amber and then add the butter and then the apple juice.
3. Allow this to cool and adjust if necessary with more liquid to create a loose spoon coating texture.
4. Glaze the whole tart with the caramel including the rim of the pastry.
5. Bake at 170C for 35-40 mins until set. Allow to cool then brush some more glaze onto the Loquats and season with salt.