What a special relationship! Trump gets touchy-feely with Theresa as he declares 'great days lie ahead' and reveals he's meeting the Queen (let's just hope he keeps his hands to himself that day)
'Well there goes that relationship!' President Trump mocks BBC's political editor after 'unbelievably crass' question listing his policies she claimed worried Britons
KATIE HOPKINS: Even Laura, the little killjoy from the BBC, couldn't ruin Donald and Theresa's DC love-in. Now I can't wait for the return visit - let the hating commence!
Team Trump makes embarrassing gaffe by spelling British Prime Minister's name 'Teresa' THREE TIMES in press release
EXCLUSIVE: Good Morning America host Lara Spencer heats things up in primetime as she breaks for multiple makeout sessions during three-hour dinner date in NYC
Two babies with terminal cancer CURED after 'miracle' treatment
Woman, 33, opens up about painful reality of what it's like to date with HIV
Make way for Megyn! NBC 'to revamp the Today show and possibly move Hoda and Kathie Lee from their timeslot when Kelly joins the network'
'Making me feel like a princess!' Bristol Palin shares snap of herself testing out new pregnancy pillow given to her by her husband and son, just days after she slammed the Women's March
Paula Patton claims she found husband Robin Thicke naked in bed with two women, details how he abused her and says he even invited his DRUG DEALER to their son's fifth birthday as she fights for sole custody
North Carolina mother-of-three, 32, is charged after her two-year-old daughter tests positive for cocaine
Child welfare agency driver is fired after he dropped foster care girl, 4, at the WRONG house where she watched TV and ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the stranger's living room
Caregiver caught on video beating a 94-year-old Alzheimer's patient for feeding her dog 'human food' is arrested after manhunt
Murder investigation into the deaths of eight family members leads to two drugs and weapons arrests - but the slayings are still unsolved nine months on
'Whisper in her ear that it's okay to go': Carl Reiner reveals what he told actress Mary Tyler Moore's husband the day before she died
EXCLUSIVE: Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein is accused of luring an underage girl into his elaborate sex trafficking enterprise under the guise of using his wealth and connections to get her into a prestige NYC college
'It's a wonderful thing to have closure': Uma Thurman wins primary custody of her daughter after a bitter legal battle with financier ex Arpad Busson
Sex offender 'dismembered his girlfriend then forced a sanitation worker to help him dispose of her remaining body parts after he stashed her head and feet in his freezer'
California lawmakers propose bill to add 'non-binary' gender option on identification documents
A spy's eye view of Russia: Never-seen-before pictures of Stalin-era USSR taken by a US Army Major deported for espionage
Ft. Lauderdale airport shooter faces the death penalty after being indicted on 22 counts
'Columbine-style' mass shooting is foiled at a Florida school as two teenage boys are arrested over plot to kill their classmates
'I think my dad is dead': Heartbreaking 911 call of 8-year-old boy whose father overdosed on heroin in car alongside his three children
Florida teenager, 18, 'stabbed his roommate in the face during a fight over a Minute Maid fruit juice box'

James Martin's French masterclass: Fruit tart

Published: 17:31 EST, 27 January 2017 | Updated: 17:31 EST, 27 January 2017

e-mail

View
comments

Following in the footsteps of his hero Keith Floyd, our columnist James Martin serves up classic French dishes from his new TV show and book

A sensational fruit tart that is aesthetically pleasing as it is tasty

Annecy in south-eastern France was where I found the most beautiful market I visited on my trip.

The place and the food were stunning – and I spotted a French version of my dog Ralph! Annecy also provided the inspiration for this elegant fruit tart.

Serves 6-8

1 x 320g ready-made puff pastry sheet
Flour, for dusting
Butter, for greasing
1 egg, beaten
85g (3oz) dark chocolate, broken into pieces (optional)
300ml (10fl oz) double cream
200ml (7fl oz) ready-made custard, chilled
12 strawberries, hulled and halved
150g (5½oz) blueberries
150g (5½oz) raspberries
200g (7oz) redcurrants
150g (5½oz) seedless black grapes, halved

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large rectangle, then cut out a 36cm x 20cm (14¼in x 8in) rectangle and place on a lightly greased baking tray.

Using a sharp knife, score a 2cm (¾in) border around the edge of the pastry, but don’t cut all the way through.

Brush the border with beaten egg, making sure it doesn’t dribble down the sides because this will prevent the pastry from rising evenly.

Prick the base of the tart (not the border) with a fork, then chill for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Bake the pastry for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Slide on to a wire rack and leave to cool. Once cooled, gently press the centre of the pastry down to leave a border around the edge. Melt the chocolate (if using) in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water.

Brush the chocolate over the pastry, keeping clear of the border. Leave to set. In a bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, then fold in the custard. Spoon this mixture over the pastry base and spread evenly.

Draw shallow lines in the cream mixture, parallel to the shorter sides of the tart, to create five sections. Arrange the fruit on top so that each section is of a contrasting colour.

James Martin’s French Adventure: 80 Classic French Recipes is published by Quadrille, £20. Offer price £14 (30% discount) until 18 February 2017. Order your copy at mailbookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640, p&p is free on orders over £15. Photography: Peter Cassidy. The new television series James Martin’s French Adventure is on weekdays at 3pm from Monday on ITV.