Culinary Corner: Pasteis De Nata

If there is one thing we have learned from lockdown, it’s that we didn’t bake nearly enough before it happened. We’re turning over-ripe bananas into banana bread and putting all that Easter chocolate to good use in cookies. There are sourdough starters awaiting their big reveal in a day or two, and our usual cereal breakfasts have been replaced with pancakes towers dripping with all the trimmings. To cut a long story short, we aren’t coming out of this bikini ready…

If there’s one thing we really love about food, it’s the ability for it to transport us to some of our favourite destinations around the world. And nothing says Lisbon quite like thick and creamy custard in a crumbling pastry tart case. Here’s how to recreate them at home…

INGREDIENTS

1 whole egg

2 egg yolks

115g golden caster sugar

2tbsp cornflour

400ml whole milk

2tsp vanilla extract

1 sheet ready roll puff pastry

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees and grease a 12 hole muffin tray
• Place egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a pan and mix well. Add the milk gradually and stir until smooth
• Place the pan on a medium heat and stir constantly until mixture thickens and comes to the boil. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract
• Put custard in glass bowl to cool and cover with cling film to prevent skin forming
• Cut pastry sheet into two pieces and place on top of each other. Tightly roll the pastry, from the short side, into a log and cut into 12 even-sized circles
• Lightly flour a board and roll each circle into a disc around 10am diameter. Press each disc into the muffin tin
• Spoon the cooled custard into the pastry cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden on top
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tray for five minutes before devouring them warm!