fruit

blackberry tart

servings
Serves 8-10

method

I must have made thousands of these tarts when I worked for Antonio Carluccio at the Neal Street Restaurant in London. We used to make them for the Royal Opera House, and people going to see an opera or ballet would have one as part of the poshest picnics in London, in their boxes up above the stage. I once went along on my day off to see Swan Lake and looked up to see all the people in the boxes eating my tarts while I was down with the others in the cheaper seats (eating a tube of fruit pastilles!). Not that I was jealous. I just knew how damn good those tarts were! This is such an easy dessert to make, especially if you have a couple of tart shells in your freezer. You can make it with just about any soft fruit – raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries, even lightly cooked gooseberries. You are in for a real treat!

First you will need to grease a 28cm loose-bottomed tart tin with a little butter. To make your pastry, cream together the butter, icing sugar and salt and rub in the flour, vanilla seeds, lemon zest and egg yolks – you can do all this by hand or in a food processor. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, add the cold milk or water. Pat and gently work the mixture together until you have a ball of dough, then flour it lightly. Don’t work the pastry too much, otherwise it will become elastic and chewy, not flaky and short as you want it to be. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for at least an hour. Remove it from the fridge, roll it out and line your tart tin. Place in the freezer for an hour. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and bake the pastry case for around 12 minutes or until lightly golden.

To make the filling, split the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds by running a knife along the inside of each half. Put the mascarpone, cream, vanilla seeds, sugar and grappa into a large bowl and whip until shiny. Have a taste – you should have an intensely rich, fluffy and lightly sweetened cream with a fresh hint of grappa. If you can’t get grappa, you can do it without, or add a swig of vin santo instead.

Once the pastry has cooled, get yourself a spatula and add the sweetened cream to the pastry case. Smear it all round so it’s reasonably level, then cover it with the berries – place them lightly on the cream, no need to push them in. If you want to be a bit more generous than this, feel free, and if you want to mix your berries you can do this too. Next, in a small pan, melt down a couple of tablespoons of jam with 3 or 4 tablespoons of water. Stir until it becomes a light syrup, then, using a clean pastry brush, lightly dip and dab the fruit with the jam.

Sprinkle with the baby mint leaves before eating. Great served either as one large tart or as small individual ones. Lovely with your afternoon tea. Either serve straight away or place in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it.

• from Jamie's Italy

ingredients

for the shortcrust pastry
• 125g butter
• 100g icing sugar
• a small pinch of salt
• 255g plain flour
optional:
• 1 vanilla pod, scored lengthways and seeds removed
• zest of ½ a lemon
• 2 large egg yolks, preferably organic
• 2 tablespoons cold milk or water

for the filling
• 1 vanilla pod
• 500g mascarpone
• 100ml single cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons grappa or vin santo
• 310g blackberries (or other fruit, see above)
• 2 tablespoons blackberry or raspberry jam
• a small handful of fresh baby mint leaves

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tried this recipe or a similar one? share your tips...

1. by Abi on Sat 28 Jan 2012 @ 15:27

Dear jamie me and my best mate sam wondered if you had a chocolate tart recipe that we could use for our GCSE course at school. You are a real inspiration to us. <br /> Love Abi and Sam xxxx :)

2. by lucilla on Tue 27 Dec 2011 @ 13:18

Dear Jamie, I am a very freshie and would like to try to bake simple biscuits, muffins. Appreciate your recipes to send me via email. Many thanks and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012.

3. by fam.ciocci on Sat 03 Sep 2011 @ 20:40

Unbelievable.... Absolutely gorgeous, everybody came back for third helpings!

4. by Alex Beaumont on Sun 26 Jun 2011 @ 13:32

Hmmmmm! Great Jamie,<br /> I Tried it and it was dilish!!! <br /> :)

5. by LuvsToCook666 on Fri 06 Mar 2009 @ 23:52

Replying to:
10. Michelle
Sun 22 Jun 2008 20:22
Hi ya Jamie.
Please could you send me the ingredients for Chocolate Concrete with pink custard, as i had this at school and would love it again. hope you can help take care and cheers.x

If you still have not found a recipe, I have this for the chocolate concrete, (but only a suggestion to buy pink blancmange and serve with this recipe, warm and runny, for the pink custard).

Grease a tin, abt 4cm deep. Put 300g granulated sugar, 50g cocoa powder, and 300g self raising flour in a bowl and stir in 300g hard marg, which has been melted. Then stir in 2 large beaten eggs, and a dash of vanilla essence.
Pour the mixture into the tin, and push down so that it is an even thickness. Brush or sprinkle with a little water and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place in cantre of a preheated oven at 160C, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the sugar looks crunchy. Serve warm!!

6. by charlotte on Fri 06 Feb 2009 @ 09:49

Please could u send me your two favorite starters, main courses and deserts.

7. by Larrissa Rippin on Sun 21 Sep 2008 @ 10:25

i like all your recipes .. our school meals arent that nice!
We have sandwhiches that wen we open them they are soggy n disgusting.
and the hot meals smell sickly wen u walk into the room. !

8. by lewis norris on Tue 09 Sep 2008 @ 09:59

these look like little bird poos in a pie, mmmm yummy bird poo pie, ya gota love it.

9. by terry on Thu 04 Sep 2008 @ 00:36

Hey Dude
Just a shout out from Vancouver Island Canada. Thank You for all the marvelous recipes, tips and advice. You keep us Journeyman Chefs alive with inspiration. You really should come and visit us sometime. If you enjoy fresh seafood (catching and cooking it) this is the place to be.
Ciao, T.

10. by Kira on Thu 24 Jul 2008 @ 13:54

I am *finally* able to get vanilla pods at the store (one per jar), and it's even here locally as opposed to driving into the city. I will have to get one and try this recipe with my berries. Can't wait!

11. by Katya on Tue 08 Jul 2008 @ 19:58

Hello! thank you! All my family adore you and your recipes! And thank you that you work with love and inspiration!

12. by chelsea on Thu 26 Jun 2008 @ 13:17

heya jamie

i am doing my year ten course work for food and it is aimed at teenagers healthy snak and we have to make them

could you send me some ideas of healthy snacks
please

thankyou

13. by Spotted Dick on Thu 26 Jun 2008 @ 07:20

Hey I just wanna know if u knew the recipe for "spotted dick"
Thanx

14. by karen lambourne on Wed 25 Jun 2008 @ 10:31

Hi, I;am a make up designer in Australia and have been to fifteen in melbourne to make up Matt and Toby for their show. GREAT guys I would love the receip of rice pudding, meringue, and strawberries as my family is English and I would luv to make it for my dad.
Cheers, Karen

15. by Michelle on Sun 22 Jun 2008 @ 20:22

Hi ya Jamie.
Please could you send me the ingredients for Chocolate Concrete with pink custard, as i had this at school and would love it again. hope you can help take care and cheers.x

16. by Debbie on Fri 20 Jun 2008 @ 12:48

Hi, Would you please be able to email me the recipe for your rice pudding with merinue and strawberry sauce. It would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou.

17. by RenÃ© on Fri 20 Jun 2008 @ 11:41

Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa.
Thanks for the really great tasting recipes

18. by miguel on Tue 17 Jun 2008 @ 19:19

I´m Spanish and i wanted to say to you that you are very famous in Spain, and since I do not speak very well English (even XD) I would like to ask you if you might translate the page or at least the recipes. A greeting from Spain.

19. by nouma on Mon 16 Jun 2008 @ 19:23

Hi, I wanted to know whether an egg should be added to the dough for pizza? i have heard that but it wasnt in your recipe.....m new at pizza making so m hesitant thanx

20. by Bella on Mon 16 Jun 2008 @ 12:43

p.s my mum cooks better than you, no offense =]

21. by Bella on Mon 16 Jun 2008 @ 12:42

Hiiii I'm looking for a basic creme brulee recipe . . . help me please ^^ x

22. by omg on Mon 16 Jun 2008 @ 06:15

omg soo gd

23. by Belinda Adam on Sun 15 Jun 2008 @ 16:52

Evening Jamie, I noticed in your receipes you either wrapping or stuffing with bacon or some form of pork. As a family we dont eat pork - what would be a good substitute? Tks Bella Port Elizabeth, South Africa

24. by Mel on Sun 15 Jun 2008 @ 05:40

Hi Jamie,

I saw your show the other night on strawberries, and you did a fantastic rice pudding with strawberry jam. I would like to give it a bash, is it possible to send me the recipie?
Love your work! Come back to Australia and open a Fifteen in Perth, WA!
cheers, Mel

25. by tracey on Sat 14 Jun 2008 @ 16:16

i cant find your ginger and rhurbarb cakes recipie
can u help me please

26. by Val Chapman on Fri 13 Jun 2008 @ 19:57

Please every thing looks so delicious, but I am trying to find Jamie's baked Italian risotto rice pudding made with fullcream milk, and orangerind in the pastry base.Please can you send it to me or tell me In which book from Jamie Oliver it can be found? Thank you Val

27. by Val Chapman on Fri 13 Jun 2008 @ 19:52

28. by pamela pers on Fri 13 Jun 2008 @ 09:36

dear Jamie
I would like a rice pudding recipe that was on the 12th of June on chanel ten it was with strawberry jam and meringue

29. by adam on Thu 12 Jun 2008 @ 13:44

Looks Nice!!

30. by laura.f on Thu 12 Jun 2008 @ 12:01

hi i was watching your show on thursday and was wondering waht you used in the BBQ Marinade so i could suggest it to my dad for Sunday lunch.

I also have to say that the special strawberry ep. I loved the way you grow the strawberries in the hanning baskets . I thought it would look great if you had a cocktail party and you had them hanging down at the bar!!!

31. by jerrel [visitor] on Thu 12 Jun 2008 @ 11:15

hello my mum was watching all about u and plsss help her cause she wants ur recipe help her how to cook a nice chicken barbecue plsss thank you

32. by sasha on Thu 12 Jun 2008 @ 10:48

i felt really depressed and in the blue before i made this recipe, but afterwards i felt so alive.

thank you so much ollie

sash,

33. by ben on Thu 12 Jun 2008 @ 10:46

hey jamie
i just made this desert for my FT class and it turned out FANTAStic you are such an inspiration to me

i love you

Ben

34. by vikki on Wed 11 Jun 2008 @ 19:20

i was hoping to find a trackle tart recipe. plz could you help me

35. by valli on Tue 10 Jun 2008 @ 11:34

hello,

hope every1 is fine.
i live in Holland and we just had Jamie on TV
he was going to cook 4 his friend from Germany
and he made this lovely chocolate nut cake
can you please give me the ingredients
it looks so yummi!!!

thanks a million

greets from a sunny Holland, den haag

36. by Judi Paradya on Mon 09 Jun 2008 @ 16:38

I am looking for your recipe for a brunch that you had on your show on May 31, 2008. It was called Upside-Down Apple French Toast Omelet 101.

Can youtell direct me on where to look this up?

Thanks you.. Judi P.

37. by dylan on Mon 09 Jun 2008 @ 16:37

jamie,

i love this recipe and i have all ur books i am twelve years old and i was wondering if there was any young persons cooking courses (by you of course) in or around wells somerset

dylan

38. by tom on Mon 09 Jun 2008 @ 09:53

hey, erm, u r cool?!

39. by Jamie on Sun 08 Jun 2008 @ 10:36

ThatLooksWickid! 8-)

40. by Trina Diedrichs on Sun 08 Jun 2008 @ 08:54

I am looking for the recipe for chocolate pots where they ooze out with runny chocolate when cut.

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