Jeremy Lee’s recipe for Almond, Chocolate and Plum Tart

A The recipe box was searched, but unfortunately, just like shopping for a last-minute gift, nothing jumped out. Out of the corner of my eye I saw an old folder containing pudding menus, all stained and torn. Questions about how this might have escaped notice quickly dissipated—unsurprising, really, given the usual state of my desk and shelves—and the page it opened revealed scribbles of a menu for a midwinter dessert. And so, as if rising from the page itself, came the memory of an almond-chocolate-walnut-peach tart lifted from the oven, all mahogany-colored with a few bubbles bursting from the bits of chocolate among the plums emerging.

My appetite for almond tart has never waned; Whether it’s in a restaurant kitchen or at home, an almond tart is inevitable. When I was younger, almond muffins were often made with ready-ground almonds, usually livened up by a drop or two of almond essence, because they were often shy of flavour. But then bags of whole Marcona almonds from Spain started arriving, and the idea of ​​baking with any other almonds quickly usurped the idea. Shaped like teardrops and almost milky in colour, delicate and buttery and freshly ground, these almonds lend a tart a wonderful quality and flavour. The benefit of not having to blind bake a tart tin is balanced out by the need to bake the tart on a rack set in a pan to catch any tears of butter and almond oil during baking.

My penchant for baking means I’ve been in the pastry section of almost every restaurant I’ve ever cooked in. Somehow, it seems like almond tart has always been on the menu. Some remained plain, others were garnished with slices of fruit such as apples, apricots and pears; Another favorite was decorating the tart with peaches. To share the Marcona almonds, the plums must be from Agen in southwestern France, famous for their soft texture and depth of flavor obtained by partial drying (I’m talking). So much so, in fact, that they were protected condition.

This same region of France is also home to some very fine walnuts, which also found their way into those tarts, as did the bitter chocolate chunks. When I baked these in Alastair LittleAt our eponymous restaurant in Soho, we marinate peaches again in Armagnac, but to spare the chef’s wallet in these trying times, Amontillado sherry is also very satisfying. The resulting tart was well received and was duly awarded for the restaurant menu and at home. As is the case with the recipes, other variations took center stage until a friend gave me a nudge and suddenly the sleeping beauty was awakened to be served here.

Almond, chocolate and plum tart

Best made ahead of time, the pastry is a classic rubbing together to fine crumbs of cold butter with “00” flour, powdered sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Add the beaten egg and a tablespoon of cold water, knead well to obtain a smooth dough and shape it into a disk, then cover it and leave it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Frangipane is prepared by mixing softened butter with fine sugar, then gradually adding the two beaten eggs. Grind whole Marcona almonds into fine crumbs, then mix together. Again, it’s best refrigerated.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C) / 350°F / Gas 4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a 22-23cm tray with a removable bottom. Collect the rolled dough on the rolling pin, then place it in the mold. Gently lift the edges and let the disc fall into the tin, then push the edges down, pressing with your fingertips to make sure the pastry covers the tin directly. Join any cracks together.

Place a spoonful of frangipane in the mold, but do not soften it. Push the chopped walnuts evenly over the tart, then gently press down the halved plums. Finally, sprinkle the tart pan with chopped chocolate, and press it down slightly.

Place the tart tin on the rack, then place the rack on the baking tray, then put it in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 150°C (130°C)/300°F/Gas 2 and bake for 1 hour, checking occasionally to see if the tart needs to be turned so that it colours evenly. Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C (100°C)/260°F/Gas ½ and bake for a further 15 minutes. The tart is best eaten warm with a pitcher of the best Jersey cream.

• Jeremy Lee is the chef/co-owner of Where are you going in London?author of Cookbook: Simply and Well, for One or Many, published by HarperCollins, priced £30. To order a copy visit guardianbookshop.com.