Passion Fruit and Pomegranate Tart (Vietnamese)

Passion Fruit and Pomegranate Tart

Passion Fruit and Pomegranate Tart Fresh Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (see book) is a perfect accompaniment to this dessert. Passion fruit purée can usually be found frozen in most supermarkets. Alternatively, buy passion fruit juice and reduce by half over a low heat.

Ingredients
1 pomegranate
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
4 eggs
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1-1/3 cups passion fruit purée

For the tart crust
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2-1/2 cups flour, plus 6 tablespoons
for rolling out
3/4 cup superfine sugar
2 eggs

For garnish
2 Passion fruits

1. To make the tart crust, in a large bowl, soften the butter. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and sugar. Beat an egg into the flour-sugar mixture, add the butter, and beat together again to form the dough. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F) Gas Mark 5. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to just larger than a 9-inch tart dish. Leave to rest, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes. Use the dough to line the dish.

3. Bake the crust in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes. When cool, separate the remaining egg and brush the crust with egg yolk. Bake again for 5-10 minutes until a crust has formed.

4. Reduce oven heat to 150 degrees C (300 degrees F) Gas Mark 2. Meanwhile, to make the filling, cut the pomegranate in half and scrape the seeds out into a large bowl. Split the seeds into pieces.

5. Add the remaining ingredients except for 2 tablespoons of passion fruit purée. Stir the filling to disperse the pomegranate seeds as widely as possible and pour into the cooled tart crust.

6. Bake the tart in the oven for about 1 hour or until it has set.

7. To serve, scrape the seeds from the 2 passion fruits into a large bowl. Split the seeds with a knife and combine with the remaining passion fruit purée to form a sauce. Cut the tart into wedges and garnish with sauce.

Buy the Book!

Lemongrass and Lime
New Vietnamese Cooking
By Mark Read
Ten Speed Press, 2001
Hardcover, $29.95
ISBN: 1-58008-321-8
Recipe reprinted by permission.