Slow Food: Ostro's Apricot Jam Crostata
Local cookbook author Julia Busuttil Nishimura is all about good food, made with simple ingredients in her small Melbourne kitchen. A lover of proper, uncomplicated food that is made by hand, the author of Ostro's food fulfils and nourishes. Here, we share one of her many beautiful recipes that bring joy, whilst keeping us slow and steady.
For the pastry
250g 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1 egg, lightly beaten
50ml-70 iced water
For the filling
300g apricot jam (ideally homemade)
Cream, for brushing
Pearl sugar, to top
Method
To make the pastry, tip the flour onto a clean work surface and sprinkle with the salt. Add the butter and toss through the flour. Using a metal pastry scraper or a knife, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. There should be larger pieces of butter too, so don’t overwork it at this stage. Pour the egg onto the mixture and incorporate into the dough using the pastry scraper or knife. Once all the egg has been gently mixed in, begin to sprinkle with iced water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together, using your hands or a pastry scraper to bring it all together to form the pastry. I find I usually need around 50 ml, but just go by how the pastry feels – some flours need more or less water.It still should be a little shaggy with visible pieces of butter. Shape the pastry into a flattish disc, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Remove the pastry from the fridge, and if very firm, allow to warm up at room temperature, just for 5 or so minutes. This is to prevent the pastry cracking at the edges as you roll it out.
Take 3/4 of the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface until 3mm in thickness. Drape the pastry into a 24cm round loose-bottomed fluted tart pan, allowing plenty of pastry to hang over the edges.
Roll out the remaining dough to the same thickness and using a pastry cutter or knife, cut strips of pastry approximately 1cm wide. Set aside.
Spoon the jam onto the base of the pastry then create a lattice pattern with the previously cut strips of pastry. Trim the overhanging pastry, leaving a 2cm border. Fold the overhanging pastry into the tart, and pinch to secure.
Carefully brush the pastry with cream and scatter with pearl sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden. Allow to cool.
