Those following our Instagram and Twitter accounts will already be familiar with our latest #MichelinGuideAtHome series, which brings recipes straight from your favourite chefs to your kitchen.
With Easter now here, Three Michelin Starred Chef Clare Smyth shares with us her recipe for her iconic chocolate lavender tarts.
Clare Smyth grew up on a farm in Northern Ireland before moving to England when she was 16. Best known for working as Head Chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Royal Hospital Road, she moved on to open her own restaurant – CORE by Clare Smyth – in 2017, in the heart of Notting Hill. It was awarded three Michelin stars in 2021.
“These tarts have finished every meal at Core since we opened two and half years ago. They were inspired by the chocolate tart at L’Ambroisie, the 3 Michelin-Starred restaurant in Paris. It is the simplest tart, but it is all in the execution. They must be eaten a few minutes after baking and served slightly soft in the middle. Clare Smyth”
Serves: 15
Cooking time: 14 mins
Prep time: 1 hour
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
150g Icing sugar
90g Egg yolks
375g Plain flour
188g Unsalted butter
5g Sea salt
1. Mix the butter, flour and salt together until it becomes a crumbly texture.
2. Cream the egg yolks and icing sugar together using a hand blender.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until it comes together as a dough.
4. Between parchment paper roll the dough to 5mm thick.
5. Cut 6cm diameter discs from the dough. Then, using round shaped moulds of 5 x 2cm, position 1 disc in between 2 moulds and press down. (Trim any excess dough with a small knife.)
6. Bake at 160°C for 6 minutes.
CHOCOLATE FILLING
108g Udzungwa 70% dark chocolate
125g Double cream
1g Dry lavender
2 Whole eggs
52g Pasteurised egg yolks
50g Caster sugar
1. Break-up the chocolate into small pieces.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the cream to 80°C, add the lavender and let it infuse for 4 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and strain the cream through a sieve into a bowl. Add the chocolate and mix to create a ganache.
4. Keep this at room temperature.
5. Mix the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until they are light and fluffy, creating a sabayon consistency.
6. Slowly pour and fold the ganache into the egg mixture using a spatula, until it forms a light brown mousse.
7. Place into pipping bags.
TART PREPARATION
1 Tart
30g Chocolate filling
1. Pipe the chocolate mix into the tart case until it is level with the rim.
2. Bake at 180°C for 4 minutes.
3. The tart should have a very slight wobble. If it is too liquid, cook for a further 30 seconds then remove from the oven and allow to rest.
