Charred Corn and Jaggery Custard Tart with Sweet Ghee Crust
Also, what I’ve been reading and watching!
Hey Everyone!
It feels like a long time no see. Thanks for hanging tight.
The start of spring has brought a lot of new opportunities and projects my way and I couldn’t be more thankful or busy. I thought besides sharing a really delicious recipe that I would share a few things that i’ve been reading/enjoying/learning from lately.
Before I share though - I want to mention that i’m taking preorders for Mother’s Day pastry boxes. Many folks showed up to my pop up back in March after I sold out of everything. I felt so bad that people missed out so I did some research and found a small company called Hotplate that has been a huge help in getting online ordering set up. (This isn’t a sponsored post - I just wanted to give a shoutout in case you’re a baker/chef looking for a similar service!)
Here’s the info if you’re in NYC and want to preorder a box:
Alright, on to what i’ve been enjoying here on Substack and beyond..
April 30th marked the 50th anniversary of the fall of the capital of South Vietnam, marking the end of the Vietnam War. As an adult, miles and years away from the history classrooms of my youth, I’ve found it much more perspective widening to hear from people personally involved in and affected by history. I think this is one of the reasons i’m drawn to the cookbooks I like. The personal is historical and the macro lens of history is made up of all the micro details we hold and remember.
I think cookbook author (and podcast host) Andrea Nguyen’s post sharing the personal items her family left Vietnam with resonates so much and made me pause not only to think about what objects I value but how these possessions could shape an entirely new life in a new place.
Lately, i’ve been spending many many hours baking at home. Wholesale cake orders, birthday cakes, recipe testing, you name it. Often times i’m putting in an additional 6 hours at home after the 8 hours of my actual job. (I know this isn’t sustainable.) During those hours I keep myself entertained with podcasts, YouTube videos, the occasional show, and a lot of music.
About a month ago I stubbled upon the music of Jessica Pratt. I’m not a music critic so forgive me if i’m lacking in the adjective department when I say that her music is haunting and attention grabbing. Her voice is really unlike anything in recent memory and is a moody but welcomed companion while I toil away in my little basement workspace.
Bronwen Wyatt is a baker and writer living and working in New Orleans. Known on Instagram for beautiful cakes of both the king and lamb varieties, her work is well informed by history, subtext, and the experiences of a pastry kitchen veteran. Bronwen recently wrote a piece about sugar that i’m thankful to see being shared widely by so many here on Substack and Instagram. I think her writing is very brave and eye opening for anyone who also grew up in a family always seemingly trying to avoid one food/ingredient or another.
I think as “authorities” (I use that term so lightly) on food, we owe it to our readers to present serious, objective information about the ingredients we use and to also own up to not knowing everything. Subjective feelings shouldn’t be used to push hope or fear, especially in the name of profit. Her piece touches on the health claims, wellness trends, and diet culture myths that orbit sugar. A highly recommended read for anyone navigating the mixed messaging on an essential but often demonized ingredient.
I’m endlessly interested in learning how things work. Especially when those things are incredibly large or small. While I was studying ceramics and sculpture in school I became fascinated by miniatures and small scale models. I love a chance encounter with a detailed diorama at a natural history or science museum but outside of those spaces, YouTube has become a great place to scratch the itch for enlarging my scope of both the built and natural world beyond the human scale.
A few weeks ago I stumbled upon the work of Jacob O’Neil (Animagraffs) via his incredible video on the Hoover Dam. Before watching his video I knew very little about the dam outside of the fact that it’s very large and took a great deal of time and energy to construct. Jacob’s video goes back in time to when the very first hole was drilled into the untouched cliffside that lined the Colorado River. This hole would become a system of vast tunnels through solid rock for water to flow during and after the dam’s construction.
If you have an interest in history, engineering, or just a human curiosity about how we achieved such a feat - I recommend checking out this video and the others he’s made. (These types of videos also make great content to consume while baking. ha.)
Today’s recipe…
We’re not in corn season yet but I already can’t wait to start putting corn in anything that sits still long enough. Good sweet summer corn needs nothing but perhaps a pinch of salt to be the best thing you’ve ever eaten. I usually steam it but truth be told when it’s at its peak, raw off the cob is even better. I set about working on a custard that highlighted a little of that summer corn flavor, accented by some caramel/molasses notes from jaggery. I think I was eating kettle corn when I had this idea. After you take a bite, you’ll understand.
A few notes…
The sweet crust recipe here is adapted from the Classic Tart Pastry in
‘s book, Sift. I swap in ghee and add cornmeal for crunch and flavor. I also up the salt because I found it enhances the flavor of both!The ghee available in stores is very different than the “ghee” you may have made at home by melting butter and skimming off the milk solids that rise to the top. I’ve found that it has a more pronounced “butter” flavor and leans a little more grassy/nutty. It’s really lovely and the reason I recommend store-bought here.
Charring the corn adds another layer of flavor but isn’t 100% necessary. Fresh corn will char or burn faster under the broiler than canned corn. Keep a close eye and don’t leave the oven’s side for too long!
The jaggery/piloncillo/panela in the custard adds notes of caramel and toffee. Corn on its own is pretty sweet so these other notes are a welcome addition of complexity. If you can’t find these less processed sugars, this would be a great time to use dark brown sugar.
The reason for warming up the milk and tempering the eggs is to help the custard bake more evenly. Baking a custard that’s cold will sometimes cause it to crack or to overcook around the edges before the inside sets properly. A warm custard cooks evenly, creating a smoother finish.
Sweet Ghee Crust
Makes one 9 inch tart
90g powdered sugar
90g ghee, store bought is best here
1 large egg
225g all-purpose flour
35g cornmeal, medium to finely ground
1 teaspoon kosher salt
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar and ghee on low until the mixture is crumbly but holding together. Be careful to avoid over mixing , you don’t want to incorporate much air into this dough.
Scrape down the bowl really well before adding the egg and mixing on low to combine. It’s normal if the mixture looks curdled at this point. Add the flour, cornmeal, salt and mix on low until the dough comes together in one mass.
Pour the dough out onto a clean surface and knead a few times by hand to bring it all together. Transfer onto a piece of parchment, lay a second piece of parchment on top and use a rolling pin to roll the dough down to 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, lift and readjust the parchment if it starts to stick. Flip the dough over a few times to lift and replace the other piece of parchment as well.
Place the dough, still sandwiched between the paper, into the refrigerator for 1 hour or 30 minutes in the freezer
Place a circle of parchment into an 9 inch tart pan. Remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to sit at room temperature until it’s just pliable. Remove the parchment, then carefully lift the dough and place centered onto the tart pan.
Lifting a small section of the edge at a time, gently push the dough into the corners of the tart pan. I find it easiest to start on the side furthest away from me (12 o’clock) then slowly rotate the tart as I work my way around. Focus on the corner first, then press the dough into the wall of the pan on a second rotation. Lastly, sheer the excess dough off by pressing it into the rim of the pan, or use a small sharp knife to trim the dough level with the top of the pan.
Place the lined tart into the freezer for 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 350F with a rack in the upper middle position.
To Blind Bake The Crust
Line the chilled lined tart pan with parchment paper (crumple up the paper first to make it more malleable). Weigh the parchment down with about 3 to 4 cups uncooked rice or beans. Ensure the rice is leveled and pushed into the corners/sides of the tart pan. Flare out the parchment to cover the exposed edges of the dough.
Place the tart onto a sheet tray and bake for 20 to 23 minutes. When finished, the edges of the tart should look mate and might have taken on a little color. Remove the parchment and rice and return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The tart is fully blind baked when the bottom is completely matte and beginning to turn golden brown.
Corn Custard
175g corn kernels, fresh, frozen, or canned
227g whole milk
227g heavy cream
95g jaggery, light brown sugar, or piloncillo
8 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon vanilla paste
If charring the corn - Drain the corn and place onto a paper towel lined plate. Blot the top of the kernels with another paper towel until the corn looks dry. Spread the corn out onto a sheet tray (get rid of the paper towels) and use the broiler setting on the oven to char the corn. Watch carefully as this process can go very quickly. Toss the corn as needed until each piece has a little char. Alternately, use a kitchen torch to blacken the corn, being careful to use mittens as the pan heats up from the flame.
If not charring the corn - Place the whole milk and corn kernels into a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the milk to a simmer for 1 minute before removing from the heat and covering with a tight lid. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes. Alternately, you can pour the hot mixture into a heat safe container and store in the refrigerator over night.
Place the cooled corn-steeped milk into a blender and blend until completely combined and smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium pot. Add the heavy cream and jaggery and place over medium low heat.
Place the egg yolks and salt in a medium bowl. When the milk and cream mixture is warm to the touch, ladle a small amount into the egg yolks and whisk. Add 1 to 2 more ladles, whisking constantly. Pour the remaining milk into the bowl and whisk together. Strain the mixture, leaving behind the corn solids. Press with the back of a spoon to squeeze all of the liquid from the blended kernels. Whisk in the vanilla paste to the strained custard.
With the blind baked tart on a parchment lined sheet tray, place into the oven and carefully pour in the warm strained custard. It should rise just below the top of the dough. Close the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the surface appears firm and there’s a very slight wobble in the very center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the sheet tray for at least 1 hour. The tart can then be chilled or served at room temperature.
Honey Whipped Cream
227g (1 cup) heavy cream, cold
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
1 big pinch kosher salt
In a medium bowl, whisk the heavy cream to soft peaks, add the honey and salt and continue to whisk to stiff peaks. Serve with each slice of tart or spread to an even layer atop the entire surface before slicing.
God I love corn in desserts and this tart sounds phenomenal!
This is everything I ever wanted.