Crisp shortcrust pastry shells, smooth lemon curd and softly roasted strawberries: these little tarts pair tangy fruit with a few drops of fruity olive oil.
These tarts are all about three distinct textures: a firm, crisp base, a smooth filling and strawberries that soften in the oven and release some of their juices. Lemon gives the curd a pronounced fresh flavour; butter rounds it out and helps the filling set as it cools. The strawberries add sweetness and a slightly jammy note, without needing to be cooked down into a sauce.
Small tart tins about 8 to 9 centimetres across give a pleasing ratio of pastry to filling. Prick the bases before they go in the oven and blind bake them with baking paper and baking beans or dried pulses. The weight keeps the bases flat, leaving enough room for the curd. Remove the paper and weights in good time so the bases can turn golden brown and crisp in the middle too. Let the bases cool completely before filling them.
For smooth curd, gentle, even heat matters more than speed. Stir constantly with a whisk in a heavy-based saucepan and don’t let the mixture boil: the eggs can curdle, leaving little flecks. The curd is ready when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. A kitchen thermometer is useful, but not essential. Strain the filling if you want an extra-smooth result or if any egg has curdled.
Strawberries are usually at their best in late spring and summer. Choose ripe, firm berries; very soft fruit can quickly fall apart as it roasts. Out of season, you can replace them with firm plums or raspberries, allowing a shorter roasting time for raspberries. Don’t have small tart tins? Bake the pastry in one tart tin about 20 centimetres across and allow a little extra baking time for the base.
Add the olive oil at the very end: a few drops of fruity, not-too-bitter oil give a gentle peppery finish that works well with the lemon and strawberries. Ideally, serve the tarts at room temperature, with the strawberries still lukewarm. You can make the baked bases ahead and store them in an airtight container. Keep filled tarts covered in the fridge and eat them within two days; don’t leave them out of the fridge for an extended period.
Mix the flour, icing sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water and knead briefly until the dough comes together. Add a little more water only if needed.
Flatten the dough, wrap it and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (fan 160 °C).
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about 3 mm thick. Line six small tart tins, 8–9 cm across, and trim away any excess dough. Prick the bases with a fork and chill the tins for 10 minutes.
Line the pastry shells with baking paper and fill with baking beans or dried pulses. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake for a further 8–10 minutes, until the bases are golden brown. Leave to cool in the tins.
Zest the lemons and squeeze them; measure out 90 ml juice. In a heavy-based saucepan, whisk together the lemon zest, juice, sugar, eggs and egg yolks. Heat over low to medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the curd thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 6–9 minutes. Don’t let the mixture boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the butter cubes until the curd is smooth. Divide the curd among the cooled tart shells. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 200 °C (fan 180 °C). Halve larger strawberries and leave small ones whole. Toss them with 1 tablespoon sugar, spread them in a small baking dish and roast for 10–12 minutes, until soft but still mostly holding their shape. Leave to cool briefly.
Carefully remove the tarts from their tins. Arrange the strawberries on top just before serving and spoon over some of their juices too. Finish with a few drops of olive oil.
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