Ferhat and Sertaç say: “During one of the lockdowns, I asked a few friends for guidance in tart pastry-making, specifically shortcrust pastry (basic pie dough). One of them said jokingly, ‘Stop clowning around; stick to kebabs.’ So I made a spite tart. And I wanted it to be great.

“The flavour base is tahini – the main component of many breakfast tables and desserts – that has been infused into a butterscotch. The first attempt was heavy, so I added a sharp apple juice reduction with ample acidity to cut through the sweet roasted sesame flavour. The diplomat cream (crème diplomat) base is enhanced with mahlep, a fragrant spice from roasted cherry seed kernels with an almond-like flavour. Its texture helps to aerate the density of the tart. It’s the one dish I’m not allowed to remove from the menu. (I tried once to take it off, and a customer berated us as they had booked weeks in advance just to try it.) You can purchase mahlep at Middle Eastern food stores.”

Makes 16 slices

Ingredients

For the tart base:

400g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
90g icing sugar
4 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
200g chilled butter, cubed
2 eggs, beaten

For the butterscotch:

200ml (7 fl oz) apple juice
670g/1 lb 8 oz butter
540g (1 lb 5 oz) dark brown sugar
540ml (18 fl oz) double (heavy) cream
340ml (12 oz) tahini
2 tablespoons sea salt

For the crème pâtissière:

120g (4oz) sugar
6 egg yolks
2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
2½ tablespoons cornflour
75g (2¾ oz) mahlep
550ml (18 fl oz) milk
600ml (20 fl oz) double cream

Method

Tart base:

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the eggs. Pulse until all the butter has broken down and it has a coarse breadcrumb-like texture. Pulse in one beaten egg and 1–2 teaspoons of iced water. Mix until it roughly comes together.

Using your hands, pack the dough tightly together. Place on a sheet of clingfilm (plastic wrap), then pack it again and wrap up. Pat into a disk, then chill for 1 hour. Makes about 580 g/1 lb 5 oz. Preheat the oven to 170°C/340°F (Gas mark 3). Divide the dough in half. Generously dust a large sheet of parchment paper with flour. Add the dough, then dust it and a rolling pin with more the flour. Roll out the dough to a 1.5-mm/ 1/16-inch thickness. Wrap the dough around the rolling pin, then lay the dough into a 28-cm/11-inch loose-bottomed tart pan. Carefully push out the dough evenly into the corners and ridges of the tin. Avoid having thinner parts, which will crack in the oven.

Trim the edges and use the excess dough to fill any gaps. Square off the edges for a tidy and even finish. Using a fork, prick around the edges and the centre of the tart. Line the tart with clingfilm and fill with pie weights (baking beans), ensuring it covers the entire base for the blind-baking. (I mix flour and dried chickpeas in a freezer bag, which helps to distribute the weight evenly.) Blind-bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights. Fill any large cracks with left-over pastry. Brush the interior with the remaining beaten egg and bake for another 13 minutes.

Butterscotch:

Pour the apple juice into a small saucepan. Simmer until the mixture is reduced to 4 tablespoons. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Stir in the dark brown sugar and apple juice reduction, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes, until homogenised and thickened. Remove the pan from the heat.

Stir in the double (heavy) cream, tahini and salt. Reduce the heat to very low and cook for another 5 minutes, until everything is incorporated. Stir frequently to prevent it from burning and from splitting. Hold it at a temperature of 45°C/113°F, then carefully pour the mixture into the tart base. Chill in the fridge overnight to set.

Crème pâtissière:

In a bowl, combine the sugar and egg yolks and mix until pale and creamy. Sift in the flour, cornflour (cornstarch) and mahlep and whisk until well mixed.

Bring the milk to a boil in a separate pan. Gradually ladle it into the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Return to the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently with a spatula, to prevent the bottom from catching. The mixture is ready when it becomes too thick to mix with ease. Strain the creme patisserie through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Set aside to cool, then cover with clingfilm and press down gently to ensure contact with the surface of the crème pâtissière. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Whip the cream in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in an equal amount of crème pâtissière. Transfer the mixture to a piping (pastry) bag and pipe onto the tart.

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