Ingredients
SUGAR SYRUP:
Sugar – 250g
Water – 150g
Lemon peel – 4 slices
Cinnamon stick – 2
EGG CUSTARD
Corn starch – 30 g
Flour – 30 g
Milk – 500 ml
Egg yolks – 6
Egg – 1
Cooking Steps
SYRUP
- In a pan add all the ingredients and let it boil WITHOUT stirring. Let the syrup reach 107C (approximately 3 minutes after starting to boil).
- After reaching 107C, remove from the stove – put the syrup aside and let it cool.
EGG CUSTARD
- Dissolve the flour and starch with a bit of cold milk until you reach a cream without lumps.
- Bring the remaining milk to boil.
- After boiling, let the milk boil until reaching the top of the pan.
- After this, add the hot milk into the cream (point #1), mixing all the time to avoid lumps.
- Add the sugar syrup to the cream slowly, mixing with the whisk (again, to avoid lumps).
- In a bowl mix the 6 egg yolks and the egg (don’t do scrambled eggs, just mix it until it’s homogeneous!).
- Add the cream (really SLOWLY) into the mixed eggs from point #6. Use the whisker to incorporate everything.
CUSTARD TARTS
- Open the puff pastry into the mold and fill it with ¾ of cream.
- Put in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes at 250C or more if your oven reaches even higher temperatures!
TIP: serve with Port Wine. Port Wine is a very traditional Portuguese fortified wine, and the Tawny and Ruby varieties are two of the most popular. The main difference between them is in the aging process and the resulting flavor profile.
Ruby Port Wine: ages for a shorter period in large wooden barrels, which reduces contact with wood and oxidation, maintaining a darker color, close to ruby red – hence the name. They tend to have fresher and fruitier flavors, with notes of red fruits, such as cherry and blackberry, and are generally fuller-bodied and less complex than Tawnies.
Tawny Port Wine: ages for longer periods in smaller barrels, promoting greater oxidation and evaporation, acquiring an amber or light brown color (tawny). It is characterized by more complex and mature flavors, with notes of dried fruits, caramel, chocolate and wood, generally being softer and more elegant compared to Rubies.
To pair with a pastel de nata, which has a creamy texture and a delicately sweet flavor, a Tawny Port is generally an excellent choice. Tawny, with its notes of dried fruits, caramel and spices, complements the sweetness and texture of the pastel de nata very well. Furthermore, the smoothness and complexity of the Tawny help balance the richness of the sweet. A Ruby, with its fruitier and less complex profile, may not be the ideal combination, as it may overlap or contrast too much with the delicate flavors of the pastel de nata. However, depending on personal taste, some may prefer this more contrasting combination.
