Rice tart scented with lapsang souchong and lychees – by Michel Roux

INGREDIENTS

(serves eight)

350g sweet short pastry
Flour for dusting
Egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 soup-spoon of milk and a pinch of salt)
750ml milk
75g pudding rice
75g caster sugar
10g Lapsang Souchong tea wrapped in a piece of muslin
180g lychees in syrup (drained weight; reserve the syrup)
100ml whipping cream whipped to a ribbon consistency

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT A dessert ring 22 diameter 2 deep lightly greased

METHOD

For the pastry case roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into a circle 3mm thick. Use it to line the flan ring and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6.

For blind-baking the pastry case prick the bottom of the pastry in several places with a fork. Line the base with greaseproof paper fill with baking or dried beans and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the beans and paper and delicately brush the inside and bottom of the pastry case with a little egg wash. Return it to the oven for another five minutes. Place the tart on a cooling rack remove the ring and leave at room temperature.

For cooking the rice heat the milk in a small saucepan. As soon as it comes to the boil scatter in the rice like rain and cook gently for another 15 minutes stirring occasionally with a spatula. Add the sugar and muslin-wrapped tea and cook gently for another 15 minutes stirring from time to time. Take the pan off the heat remove the tea and leave to cool slightly in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

To fill the tart reserve one-third of the best lychees for decoration and halve them. Coarsely dice the remainder and stir them into the rice with a spatula then delicately fold in the whipped cream. Gently pour the mixture into the pastry case. Arrange the halved lychees tastefully on top and leave the tart to cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

When the tart is cold boil the lychee syrup to reduce it and leave to cool for a few minutes. With a pastry brush use a little to glaze the top of the tart very lightly. Place the tart on a serving plate and serve it cold but not chilled.
\

* Preparation time 30 minutes cooking time 30 minutes.

Michel Roux