Custard tart with Marsala figs

Method

1. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the icing sugar, lemon zest and salt.

2. Add the egg and bring the mixture together to form a dough. Wrap the dough and leave to rest for at least an hour in the fridge..

3. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

4. Roll out the pastry and use it to line a 24cm/9½in tart tin. Place a sheet of baking paper in the middle and add cover with ceramic baking beans (or dried bean) cook in the oven for and blind bake at for 20 minutes.

5. Remove the tart from the oven and remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes.Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.

6. Meanwhile to make the custard, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl using an electric hand-held whisk, or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, until pale and thick.

7. Put the milk, cream and vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.Fish out the vanilla pod, and scrape the seeds out into the custard. (You can wash, dry and keep the vanilla pod to make vanilla sugar.)

8. Return the cream mixture to the heat and bring back to a simmer. In a thin, steady stream, pour it into the egg yolk mixture, whisking as you pour.

9. Strain the custard through a fine sieve, then pour it into the pastry case. Bake for 45 minutes–1 hour, until just set.

10. Leave the tart to cool and set completely for a few hours before slicing.

11. To serve, halve the figs and gently toss them with the honey, Marsala and orange zest.

12. Cut the tart into slices and dust with icing sugar just before serving. Serve with the Marsala figs alongside.