Chef Kenji Morimoto has unveiled a sumptuous recipe that masterfully blends Japanese flavours with classic British baking: a caramelised miso leek custard tart. This savoury creation, served with a zesty apple cider vinegar fennel slaw, promises a decadent and special dining experience.
A Fusion of Favourite Flavours
Morimoto's tart is a celebration of his most cherished tastes. It artfully combines jammy miso leeks, the savoury-sweet notes of chawanmushi (a Japanese steamed custard), and the nutty crunch of toasted sesame seeds, all encased in flaky pastry. The chef recommends pairing the rich tart with a simple, sharp fennel salad to cut through the indulgence.
The dish is excellent served warm from the oven, but Morimoto confesses a particular soft spot for it as a leftover, enjoying the cold, eggy filling. While shop-bought pastry is an option, he emphasises that making the pastry from scratch elevates the dish to something truly special.
The Recipe: Caramelised Miso Leek Custard Tart
The recipe requires 30 minutes of prep time, over an hour to chill, and 45 minutes to cook, serving six to eight people. Key ingredients for the pastry include 185g plain flour and 100g cold unsalted butter. The filling features 350g of leeks cooked with red miso and honey, and a custard made from five eggs, 150ml whole milk, and a tablespoon of dashi granules.
Step-by-Step Method
First, the pastry is made by blitzing flour, salt, and butter into breadcrumbs, adding water to form a dough, which must be chilled for at least an hour. Meanwhile, leeks are cooked in oil until soft and browned, then glazed with a mixture of miso, honey, and water until jammy.
The pastry is rolled to fit a 20cm round loose-bottomed tin, pricked, chilled again, then blind-baked at 220C (200C fan) for 15 minutes with baking beans, followed by five minutes without. The oven is then reduced to 200C (180C fan).
The cooked leeks are spooned into the pastry shell, followed by the whisked egg, milk, and dashi mixture. It bakes for five to seven minutes until slightly set, then is sprinkled with sesame seeds and baked for a further 20-25 minutes until golden.
The Perfect Accompaniment: Fennel Slaw
While the tart cools, a refreshing slaw is prepared. 300g of thinly sliced fennel is gently massaged with chopped parsley, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, then seasoned to taste.
To serve, the tart is sliced, garnished with chives, and presented with the fennel slaw and a drizzle of chilli oil. This recipe is featured in Morimoto's new book, Ferment: Simple Ferments and Pickles, and How to Eat Them, published by Pan Macmillan at £22.
