Lemon curd, black olive and caramel tartlets with liquorice

Makes 18 Desserts and puddings

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Method

Roll out the pasta frolla - click here, with a rolling pin until very thin (approx. 3mm), dusting with as little flour as possible. Put in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

Using a 5cm circular cutter, cut out 18 circles. Prick with a fork, then press each one into a 4cm diameter x 1.5cm deep tartlet mould, taking care to place it evenly and not deform the dough. Chill the pastry cases in the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C F/Gas 4. Bake the tartlet cases for 12 minutes until golden and crisp, then allow to cool on a cooling rack and transfer to an airtight container.

To make the lemon curd, soak the gelatine in a bowl of iced water for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the lemon juice into a pan and bring to a gentle boil over a medium heat.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, lemon zest and sugar. Pour in the hot lemon juice, stirring constantly with the whisk to avoid creating lumps or curdling the eggs.

Pour the mixture back into the pan and set over a low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches 82C on a cook’s thermometer.

Take the pan off the heat. Drain and squeeze the gelatine to remove excess liquid, add it to the lemon mixture and mix well. Transfer to a bowl and add the cubed butter. Blitz with a hand blender for 2 minutes until completely emulsified, then cover with cling film, ensuring it makes direct contact with the surface of the curd to prevent a skin forming. Leave in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours. Once cold and set, transfer into a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle. To make the caramel, put the sugar in a heavy-based pan and moisten the sides with a few drops of water. Heat over a low-medium heat for 5 minutes to make a caramel – you can swirl the pan to help it dissolve, but never touch the mixture with a spoon. When it is a dark-blonde colour, remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped black olives, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Transfer to a container and leave to stand at room temperature.

Half an hour before serving, put 5g of the olive caramel in each pastry case, flattening with a small offset spatula. Top each one with 18g lemon curd, using the piping bag to give it a round, regular shape.

Dust with a little of the liquorice powder and add a pinch of salt and some fresh fennel just before serving.