A Recipe for Custard Tart with Fish Sauce Caramel
From Josh Niland's "Take One Fish"
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The recipe box is a collection of recipes and techniques from my favorite cookbooks—everything from up-and-coming titles to tried-and-true favorites from my collection. (Though you may see some original recipes here from time to time, too 😉) You can check out TOD’s archive of past recipes here if you’re looking for some meal inspiration.
Today’s recipe comes by way of Josh Niland’s “Take One Fish.” Though it’s been a couple years since this book came out, I still turn to it pretty frequently for Josh’s incredibly thorough knowledge of making every part of the fish count—from little sardines and herring to big beauties like grouper and swordfish. Flipping through those pages for the first time was how I learned that the tuna scraps from behind the head or its frame could be minced and cooked into a ragù for a hearty lasagna, that John Dory liver could be made into a rich pâté for spreading on toast, and that kingfish fat could be turned into salted caramel and used as filling for macarons. It’s a book that not only opened my eyes to a fish’s potential in the kitchen, but encouraged me to be creative in getting as much yield from a fish as possible. As we’ve previously talked about in this newsletter, learning how to prepare diverse species of fish—especially our smaller friends at the bottom of the food chain—and employ every edible part is vital for mitigating the widespread depletion of our oceans and fish stock. (That said, “Take One Fish” is an excellent addition to your bookshelf—as is his most recent book, “Fish Butchery,” which came out this past October).
Now, onto business.
Josh writes that this recipe evokes childhood memories of eating warm custard tarts with his mother at a local coffee shop, savoring every taste of the sweet, jiggly filling and thin shortcrust pastry. The flavors of the salted caramel sauce generously poured on top are amplified with the addition of lime juice and garum, a fermented fish sauce originating all the way back to Ancient Rome. (Though garum is also a dark, salty, umami-packed condiment, it does differ slightly from the Southeast Asian fish sauces you’d find at your local Asian grocery store). It’s 2024, so I’m assuming everyone here has no problem putting such a deliciously funky sauce anywhere near a custard dessert. However, if the idea still seems fishy to you—pun very much intended—Josh writes that you can omit the caramel and finish off the tart with freshly grated nutmeg instead. (But come on, why would you?)
This recipe is adapted slightly to use the easier-to-source fish sauce. However, if you’re interested in seeing Josh’s original recipe and learning how to make homemade garum, I’d recommend picking up a copy of “Take One Fish.” If you’ve got the time and some extra fish scraps and trimmings lying around, it’s a very fun and worthwhile endeavor!
Serves 12
Freshly whipped cream, to serve (optional)
For the pastry
9 ounces all-purpose flour, frozen
7 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and diced
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 ¾ ounces chilled water
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
For the fish sauce caramel
10 ½ ounces superfine sugar
5 ounces water
Fish sauce, to taste
Juice of 2 limes
Pinch of sea salt
For the custard filling
12 ½ ounces superfine sugar
3 vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped
4 egg yolks
7 large eggs
38 ounces whole milk
12 ½ ounces light cream
To make the pastry, pulse the flour and butter in a food processor to create very fine crumbs. Dissolve the salt in the water and add to the crumb, pulsing briefly to combine, then turn out the dough onto a chilled surface and work it with the palm of your hands to form a very firm dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 3-4 hours or overnight.
For the caramel, combine the sugar and water in a clean saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the sugar becomes a caramel color. (Do not stir the sugar while it boils, as it will crystallize—but once it becomes golden in color, it’s fine to stir in order to ensure it browns evenly). In this case, we want it quite dark to balance out the sweetness of the tart. When the caramel is a dark golden color but not smoking, stop the cooking by carefully adding the water. Watch out, as it will spit and create steam. Take the pan off the heat and whisk the water into the caramel to combine. Let it cool, then stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and salt. Adjust the seasoning to achieve a balance of sweet, sour, bitter, and salt.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Roll out the pastry to a 1/16-inch thickness, then line an 11-inch tart tin. Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill with baking beads or dried beans. Blind-bake for 30 minutes, then remove the paper and weights and cook for a further 10 minutes until cooked through, golden-brown, and dry.
Brush the tart shell with the beaten egg yolk to seal the pastry while still warm, then return to the oven for 1 minute to cook the egg.
While the pastry is baking, make the custard filling. Blend the sugar and vanilla seeds together in a large heatproof bowl. Add the egg yolks and eggs to the bowl and whisk until pale, about 3 minutes. Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan over a medium heat and heat to just under boiling point. Slowly pour into the egg mixture and whisk until silky and well-incorporated. Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium heat (this will be your double boiler). Reduce to a very gentle simmer, then place the bowl over the pan and, using a rubber spatula, stir constantly until the custard reaches a temperature of 149°F. Remove from the heat and pass the custard through a fine sieve. The idea is to have the custard ready at the same time as the egg-washed pastry shell. For the best results, they both need to be warm.
Reduce the oven temperature to 265°F.
Carefully pour the custard into the warm tart shell and bake until the center just reaches 180°F for a wobbly set, about 45 minutes. Allow the tart to stand at room temperature for at least an hour before serving (don’t refrigerate it or you will lose the wobble).
To serve, pour a little caramel over the top and, using a very hot, very sharp knife, carefully slice the tart. Serve with a generous dollop of softly whipped cream, if you like.
Recipe adapted from “Take One Fish: The New School of Scale-to-Tail Cooking and Eating” by Josh Niland. Copyright © 2021. Used with permission of Hardie Grant Publishers. All rights reserved.