Renowned chef Jeremy Lee has unveiled the recipe for his cherished almond, chocolate and prune tart, a sumptuous dessert born from decades of culinary passion and refined technique. The creation, which he describes as a 'sleeping beauty' rediscovered in an old folder of pudding menus, combines premium ingredients like Spanish Marcona almonds and French Agen prunes.
The Genesis of a Culinary Classic
Lee's enduring fondness for almond tart began early in his career. He recalls that in his youth, such tarts were often made with ready-ground almonds and lacked depth, sometimes requiring a dash of almond essence. This changed with the arrival of whole Marcona almonds from Spain, whose buttery, delicate flavour revolutionised his approach. Their teardrop shape and milky colour, when freshly ground, imbue the tart with a superior quality.
The recipe's evolution continued during his time at Alastair Little’s eponymous Soho restaurant. There, the team steeped Agen prunes in Armagnac, though Lee notes that amontillado sherry is a fine, more economical alternative for today's cook. The inclusion of bitter chocolate shards and walnuts from the same south-western French region as the prunes completes the harmonious flavour profile.
Crafting the Perfect Tart: Ingredients and Method
The recipe yields one 23cm tart. For the pastry, you'll need 150g cold unsalted butter, 250g '00' flour, 75g icing sugar, sea salt, and one beaten egg. The luxurious frangipane filling requires 250g softened unsalted butter, 200g caster sugar, two beaten eggs, and 250g whole Marcona almonds. The topping consists of 100g chopped walnuts, 12 halved and stoned Agen prunes (which have protected status), and 100g of 70% dark chocolate.
Lee advises starting early. The pastry is a classic rubbed mixture, brought together with the egg and a tablespoon of cold water before being chilled. The frangipane is made by creaming the butter and sugar, incorporating the eggs, and then mixing in the finely ground almonds; this too benefits from refrigeration.
Baking to Perfection
To assemble, the rolled pastry is laid in a tin, with the frangipane spooned in but not smoothed. The walnuts, prune halves, and chopped chocolate are pressed in evenly. A key tip is to bake the tart on a rack set inside an oven tray to catch any buttery drips. The baking process involves starting at 180C (160C fan) for initial heating, then reducing to 150C (130C fan) for an hour, and finally baking at 120C (100C fan) for a further 15 minutes to achieve an even, mahogany hue.
The tart is best served warm, accompanied by a jug of rich Jersey cream. Jeremy Lee, now chef and co-owner of London's famed Quo Vadis and author of 'Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many', has resurrected this recipe for all to enjoy, proving that some culinary loves never wane.
