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 Banana Tart Luquillo
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This banana tart is made with a banana-flavored filling combined with pastry cream. It is then cooked and glazed with a guava jelly (although another jelly or preserve, preferably from an exotic fruit, could be
substituted).
The pate brisée is different from the one used for the Apple Crunch (see recipe), as the dough here is completely blended through the fraisage technique (step 2). This produces a more tender crust with a bit less flakiness than the pâte brisée.
Like most tarts, this one is best eaten at room temperature, as it tends to harden too much when cold and the flavors of the different components are not as sharp.
The bananas, sautéed with butter and lemon juice, could be eaten by themselves or flambéed with dark rum and served with ice cream or crepes.
Yield: 8 servings
pate Brisee
1 1/4 c. flour
1 stick butter
1 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tb. ice cold water
banana filling
2 Tb. butter
1/3 C. sugar
1/3 c. lime juice
1 1/2 lb. bananas (about 4), cut into slices (about 2 1/2 c.)
pastry cream
1 c. milk
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
4 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tb. butter
glaze
1/2 c. guava jelly, or another tropical fruit jelly or preserve
1. For the pate brisée: In a mixing bowl, combine the 1 1/4 c. flour, 1 stick butter, 1 tsp. sugar, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 2 Tb. ice cold water together, and crush with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly.
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2. Place the dough on the table and, using the technique called fraisage, smear about 1/4-c. forward with the palm of your hand to blend thoroughly. Repeat until the whole mixture has been blended. One additional fraisage of the dough should be sufficient, but if the ingredients are not quite blended, gather the dough together again into a ball and repeat the fraisage.
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3. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough (from the center out in every direction) into a circle approximately 1/8 in. thick and 14 in. in diameter.
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4. Brush any excess flour from the top of the dough, then roll it up on a rolling pin. Unroll over a 10-in. ring placed in the center of a cookie sheet and brush off any excess flour from the top. Note that the top of the dough at this point was tableside down in step 3. So by rolling and unrolling the dough over the rolling pin you are able to remove the excess flour from both sides.
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5. Lift up the dough hanging over the sides of the ring and ease it gently into the ring; it is important not to stretch it or it will shrink more during cooking. Push additional dough all around into the rim to create a thicker edge.
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6. Roll the rolling pin over the edge of the ring, pressing down and rolling in one direction and then the other to cut the dough evenly. Remove excess dough and reserve it, refrigerated or frozen, for future use.
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7. With your thumb and index finger, press on the dough around the edge to create a border. Then, with your thumb, roll a small amount of the dough over the rim of the ring all around, pressing it gently to anchor the shell and hold it in place so it won't collapse on itself during cooking. (When this technique is used, it is not necessary to line the shell with paper and weight it.) Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork and place in a preheated 400-degree oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
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8. To make the banana filling: Put the 2 Tb. butter and 1/3 c. each sugar and lime juice in a skillet, and cook until the mixture forms a caramel (about 8 to 10 minutes).
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9. When the caramel takes on a pale blond color, add the 4 sliced bananas and saute gently in the caramel for 3 to 4 minutes.
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10. The dough should be nicely browned and have shrunk just slightly from the edges.
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| 11. To prepare the pastry cream: Heat the 1 c. milk in a saucepan until it comes to a boil. With a whisk, combine the egg, egg yolk, 4 tsp. cornstarch, 1/4 c. sugar, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla in a bowl, mixing until smooth. Whisk in the boiling milk, mix well, and return to the saucepan. Place over medium to high heat, stirring constantly with a whisk so it doesn't burn, and cook until it comes to a strong boil and thickens. Cool for about 10 minutes, then add the 2 Tb. butter and mix well. Pour the pastry cream into the pastry shell, spreading it to an equal thickness all around. |
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| 12. Pour the caramelized bananas on top and stir gently to mix the bananas coarsely with the pastry cream. Smooth the top and bake in the 400-degree oven for 30 minutes |
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| 13. Remove from the oven and let the tart rest for about 15 to 20 minutes until cooled, then scrape off dough that holds the tart to the ring. |
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| 14. Remove the ring. |
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| 15. Melt the 1/2 c. guava jelly or other jelly or preserve if it is not soft. Brush the top of the tart with the jelly. |
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16. At serving time, slide the tart onto a serving platter and cut it into wedges. Serve at room temperature.
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