Cranberry Curd Tart with Dark Chocolate Crème Anglaise

This beautiful marriage of sour, bitter and sweet leaves a lasting impression.

Ingredients 
Hazelnut Crust
1 1/4 cups raw hazelnuts
1 cup rice flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 lb unsalted butter, softened

Cranberry Curd
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
juice and zest of 1 orange
1/4 lb butter, softened
2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks

Crème Anglaise
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 Tbsp vanilla

 

Method

Hazelnut Crust

1. In a food processor combine hazelnuts, rice flour and salt then process to a meal-like consistency.
   
2. Cream sugar and butter and combine with nut meal. Press into the bottom of a 10” tart pan and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.

Cranberry Curd

1. Put cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until cranberries have popped and softened, about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer to a food mill or medium mesh sieve and press cooking liquid into a bowl. Whisk the butter into the warm liquid.
3. Put eggs and egg yolks into a bowl and beat lightly. Slowly whisk a cup of warm cranberry liquid into the eggs, then combine both and whisk together. Return liquid to the pot and cook over low heat until nearly bubbling and thickened, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
4. Pour cooled cranberry curd into the cooled prebaked tart shell and smooth top with a spatula. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes to set curd. Cool on a rack.

Crème Anglaise

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook milk, cream, and sugar, stirring with a whisk until mixture begins to steam and bubble. Remove from heat.
2. Put egg yolks in a bowl and whisk in about 1/2 cup hot milk mixture, then pour egg mixture back into the pan and whisk to blend.
3. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until custard reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer and thickens noticeably 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
   
4. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap pressed against the surface of custard.
   
5. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

 

Yield 8-12 serving