Uma torta de laranja feito de maçãs

"Orange tart" made out of apples

An"orange tart" made out of apples? Curious? I think you will be.I think I have  been watching too much Heston´s fantastical food, but anyone who has been brought to tears by his eight-page recipe for trifle will attest to the fact that  this man is an acquired taste. Despite the difficulty of some of his dishes, on the whole I am fascinated by him – regardless of the fact that what he does is in no way either useful or practical. He has extolled the pleasures and virtues of crossing the boundaries between savoury and sweet.Egg and bacon ice cream was created out of intentionally overcooked custard.Parsnips and milk were used to emulate breakfast cereal."Why oh why" his critics repeatedly say. Get a life, I say- IT´S FUN.It is just Heston having a bit of a culinary canoodle and trying his hand at some things that perhaps not even he will bother to do again.Giving over prime time TV to researching why the English as a nation dunk their biscuits into cups of tea is fine for me.Its entertaining and makes good television.And you can´t knock the fact that he is one of the UK's very few holders of so many étoiles.So, inspired by Heston and  the extraordinary Fat Duck cookbook that my perceptive friend Mo gave me for my birthday,and with some class Portuguese apples and oranges I began a bit of self dabbling in culinary science.And what happened? I was amazed.I think you will be too.

A bit of quince syrup or juice, or a slice or two of peeled quince added to apples or pears while they cook will add an appealing flavour and aroma to a dish, giving them that little je ne sais quoi.So, following the same principal of flavour pairing, what happens if orange zest is infused into a cream and sugar base, used as a coating for sliced apples and then the remainder incorporated into filling for a tart.As the tart bakes,the apples absorb the cream coating and they come out of the oven tasting like oranges.Trust me -just try it.

An "Orange tart" made out of apples

serves 6

Pre-heat the oven to 375F/185F

You will need: 
1 quantity of sweet pastry to line
Six 10cm ( 4inch) tart rings or same sized fluted tart pans
or six same size pre-baked tart shells. 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 
1 large orange
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 medium sizd granny smith or golden delicious apples
peeled cored and cut into 12 slices each

Line your tart rings or fluted pans with sweet pastry.Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment
Set aside in the freezer for 30 minutes.Blind bake them in the oven until they are part baked, golden and the bases are dry (10-12 minutes).Remove from the oven keeping them in their rings or pans, allowing them to cool.

Place the sugar in a medium bowl and grate the zest of the orange into it.Rub the zest vigorously into the sugar with your fingers.

Place the orange sugar into a small saucepan and add the cream.Heat over a medium heat,stirring gently, until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 -15 minutes to infuse.

Put the apples into a bowl,add half of the orange cream and toss well to coat them.

Arrange 3 apple slices round the the sides of each tart shell and stack 3 slices in the centre.

Spoon the remaining cream over the tarts.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the apples are golden and the cream is bubbling gently round the edges.Remove from the oven and let sit for 30 seconds before removing the tart rings with tongs.Allow the baked tarts to cool for 15 minutes before serving.