Post #329486 by 54 house of bamboo on Sat, Sep 1, 2007 4:34 AM

This recipe dates from 1997...

Art of the Tart
by Tamasin Day-Lewis

Review:
"We bought this book in England, and there is an amusing difference between the English and American editions. In the English edition there's a recipe for a fig tart with tobacco syrup, made from pipe tobacco. This has been neatly excised for the American printing. The editor explained that she didn't want someone to open the book to the tobacco syrup recipe in a store and shriek in horror. Presumably this means that in England people say, "Mmm...pipe tobacco. Jolly good."

RICHARD CORRIGAN'S FIG TART
Richard Corrigan, an Irishman with an instinctive sense of flavour, is one of London's most bullish chefs (he made his name with Stephen Bull). This innovative dessert owes its unique flavour to a pinch of tobacco.

Serves 6
8oz puff pastry
6-8 ripe purple figs
For the frangipan:
25g/1oz butter
25g/1oz sugar
15g/1/2oz ground almonds
1/2 tablespoon flour
For the tobacco syrup:
170g/6oz sugar
150ml/5fl oz water
2 level teaspoons pipe tobacco
pinch of cornflour

For the frangipan, combine all ingredients until smooth.

For the tart: roll out a 9cm (4in) circle of puff pastry. Spread with the frangipan leaving approximately 2cm (1in) around the edges. Thinly slice the figs and arrange on top. Egg-wash the edge of the pastry. Brush the top of the tart with melted butter and bake in the oven at 400F/200C/Gas 6 for 12 to 15 minutes.

For the tobacco syrup: make a syrup by bringing sugar and water to the boil. Turn off, infuse the tobacco in this liquid for 10 seconds, then strain. Dissolve a pinch of cornflour in a teaspoon of cold water and stir into syrup mixture. When the tart is cooked, drizzle the strained tobacco syrup over and around the tart.

Sprinkle with a little fresh tobacco, dry heated in a pan to reduce moisture.