I was telling you last time that I didn’t have the energy to get into the kitchen to prepare new desserts. A small exception this evening with this delicious lime, pineapple and coriander tart inspired by William Lamagnère. A rather original recipe (with the use of coriander to season the pineapple) and full of freshness, ideal right now in this heat.
I’ve already had the chance to use pineapple and coriander in a previous dessert that isn’t on the blog yet, and I really loved it. When I discovered the chef’s recipe, I really wanted to try it for myself. However, I kept my usual pâte sucrée recipe and lightened my workload by removing the almond cream step. At the same time, I used a pâte sucrée that was already baked and frozen, just waiting to be filled. I couldn’t have put an almond cream in it, which requires additional baking. Not to mention that with a 2 cm high tart ring, I find it very difficult to strike a balance between the pâte sucrée, the almond cream and the crémeux.
You may want to know more about the use of coriander in this dessert. I’m used to using fresh mint, basil or even lemon verbena in pastry. Why not coriander? It pairs really well with pineapple. However, be careful, I see it more as a seasoning. It brings a touch of originality and freshness but if you’re not very used to its taste, it’s quite likely you won’t be able to recognise it (that was the case for my friends, who thought long and hard before finding this mystery ingredient).
Ingredients & method
4 components · Full recipe
Gelatinized Victoria pineapple brunoise with coriander (to make the day before)
Ingredients
- 120 g (4.2 oz) water
- 6 g (0.2 oz) lime zest (about 4 limes)
- 50 g (1.8 oz) lime juice
- ½ vanilla pod
- 6 g (0.2 oz) NH pectin
- 70 g (2.5 oz) sugar (I would use a tiny bit less if making again)
- 1 Victoria pineapple
- ½ bunch coriander (I used 6.5 g (0.2 oz))
- zest of ½ lime
Method
1
In a saucepan, bring the water, lime juice, zest, and the seeds and half vanilla pod to the boil.
2
When the mixture reaches about 40°C / 104°F, add the sugar/pectin mixture and whisk well (mix the sugar and pectin together first to avoid lumps).
3
Bring to the boil and cook for 1–2 minutes.
4
Pass through a sieve and set aside.
5
First cut both ends off the pineapple with a serrated knife. Trim the skin flush. Then remove the eyes by cutting at an angle. Quarter the pineapple and remove the hard core. Cut into brunoise.
6
Finely chop the coriander.
7
Place the pineapple brunoise, chopped coriander and lime zest in a bowl and mix. Gently reheat the lime jelly over low heat until slightly more liquid. Pour over the bowl and fold together gently with a spatula.
Sweet pastry dough (to start 2 days before or the day before)
Ingredients
- 150 g (5.3 oz) butter
- 95 g (3.4 oz) icing sugar
- 30 g (1.1 oz) ground almonds
- 60 g (2.1 oz) egg (1 large egg)
- 250 g (8.8 oz) flour
- a pinch of fleur de sel
- a knife tip of vanilla powder
Method
1
Place the softened butter and icing sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Add the ground almonds, vanilla powder and fleur de sel and mix again.
2
Add the beaten egg and mix with a spatula (this will be easier than using the mixer).
3
Add the flour and mix briefly until you have a homogeneous ball of dough — don’t overwork it. Shape into a ball without pressing too much. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.
4
Wrap each piece in cling film, flattening into a rectangle. Refrigerate one overnight and freeze the other (for another tart). The next day, roll out the dough to 2–3 mm thickness. Cut out a disc slightly larger than the tart ring.
5
Line the tart ring, making sure to create a sharp right angle at the base. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours (ideally).
6
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 325°F.
7
Once the pastry is well chilled, trim the excess with a small knife.
8
Place a sheet of baking paper on top and fill with baking beads or dried beans for blind baking (if the tart shell has been in the fridge overnight, the pastry should not move — no need for weights).
9
Bake for about 30 minutes (or a little longer if the pastry isn’t coloured enough).
Lime cremeux
Ingredients
- 70 g (2.5 oz) lime juice (about 3 limes)
- zest of 2 limes (I used 2.8 g (0.1 oz))
- 100 g (3.5 oz) eggs (2 eggs)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) sugar
- 140 g (4.9 oz) butter
- 1.5 g (0.1 oz) powdered gelatine (or ¾ of a gelatine sheet)
- 9 g (0.3 oz) water (to rehydrate the powdered gelatine)
Method
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in the water.
2
In a saucepan, combine the lime juice, zest, eggs and sugar. Whisk together.
3
Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 83°C / 181°F. The cream will thicken — like a crème anglaise, be careful not to exceed this temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer, here is Chef Michalak’s trick: whisk rapidly then stop. If the “swirl” stops immediately, the cream is at the right temperature.
4
Off the heat, add the rehydrated gelatine and mix.
5
Pour the mixture into a jug (or any tall container). When it is at about 40°C / 104°F, add the cold butter and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and homogeneous.
Assembly of the lime, pineapple and coriander tart inspired by William Lamagnère
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
Remove the gelatinized pineapple disc from the freezer, unmould it carefully and place it on a wire rack.
2
Either make a neutral glaze (recipe here) or, as I did here, use a store-bought neutral glaze to save time. Simply warm it gently, then brush it over the top and sides of the frozen pineapple disc.
3
Place the disc on the tart using a large offset spatula, centring it carefully.
Gallery
