Raspberry and Hazelnut Rice Tart

From issue #7.
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Raspberry and Hazelnut Rice Tart

INGREDIENTS

Pastry
240 grams plain flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
30 grams icing sugar
180 grams unsalted butter, diced
1 egg yolk and cold water to equal 60mls, whisked together

Filling
2 cups milk 100 grams arborio rice 50 grams caster sugar
1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 small eggs, lightly beaten
1⁄2 cup cream
2 tablespoons Marsala
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
100 grams hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped
300 grams raspberries, fresh or frozen
21cm x 29cm rectangular, loose bottom tart tin

METHOD

Pastry: Place the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Pulse the machine as you pour in the egg and stop as soon as the liquid is incorporated.

Tip onto the bench and bring the dough together with your hands. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured bench and line the tart tin. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C. Bake the pastry case blind*. Set aside to cool.

Filling: Place the milk, rice and caster sugar in a heavy-based saucepan. Split the vanilla bean, if using, and scrape out the seeds. Add the bean and seeds or the extract to the milk and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and leave the rice to cool.

Reduce the oven to 180°C.
Combine the eggs, cream, Marsala and zest and fold into the rice with the hazelnuts. Pour into the prepared pastry case and smooth the top. Scatter over the raspberries. Bake for 25 minutes or until the filling is just firm. Serve warm or at room temperature with mascarpone or whipped cream. Serves 8

*To bake blind: line a prepared pastry case with baking paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. The beans support the pastry as it cooks. Bake in a preheated 190oC oven for 10 minutes before removing the paper and weights. The shell should now have taken form so reduce the temperature to 175oC and cook until completely cooked and golden.