To make a tarte of Damsons is a traditional Elizabethan recipe for a classic tart made from a puree of damson plums and pears in red wine made into a custard with eggs that's baked in a rich shortcrust pastry shell. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Elizabethan version of: To make a tarte of Damsons.
To make a tarte of damſons.
Take damſons and boyle theym in wyne, eyther red or claret, and put thereto a doſen of peares, or els whyte bread too make theym ſtyffe wyth all, then drawe theym vp wyth the yolkes of ſyxe egges and ſwete butter & ſo bake it.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
200g damson plums, halved and pitted
200ml red wine or claret
2 cooking pears, peeled, cored and chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
4 egg yolks
1 batch short paest for tart
Method:
Roll out the pastry and use to line a 22cm diameter deep pie dish. Line with greaseproof (waxed) paper (typically trimmed to a circle known as cartouche), fill with baking beans or beads then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and blind bake for about 15 minutes, or until the pastry is just dry to the touch (but not coloured). Remove from the oven, take out the paper and baking beans and set aside as you prepare the filling.
Combine the plums wine and pears in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer then continue cooking (covered) for about 40 minutes, or until the fruit has completely broken down and the mixture is thick.
Pass through a fine-meshed sieve, pressing down on the mixture with the back of a spoon. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl then add a ladleful of the hot damson mixture to temper. Pour the resulting egg mix into the main gooseberry mix and whisk to combine, adding the butter at this point. Pour this mixture into the blind-baked pastry shell then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180�B0;C and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the custard filling has set.
