Gill Meller's Salted Chocolate Pumpkin Tart

Pumpkin has a wonderful, sweet, buttery quality when cooked. Pureeing pumpkin turns that butter to silk. Stir the silk through dark, melted chocolate and you get a smooth, earthy, rich custard, to which I like to add just a little too much sea salt. The salt brings out all the luxury.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1.5oz (45g) Powdered sugar
• 5.5oz (150g) All-purpose flour
• 3oz (85g) Unsalted butter, cubed and chilled (plus extra for greasing)
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1 Tbsp ice water

For the Filling

• 3.5 fl oz (100ml) Whole milk
• 9 fl oz (250ml) Heavy cream
• 7oz (200g) Peeled pumpkin or squash, cut into small dice
• 1.75oz (50g) Unrefined superfine sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Egg yolk
• 10.5oz (300g) 70% Dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
• ½ Tsp flaky sea salt

Method

1. First, make the crust. Combine the powdered sugar, all-purpose flour and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (you can do this in a food processor, if you prefer). Add half the beaten egg and all of the ice water, and stir to combine. Turn out the dough and bring it together with your hands, kneading lightly until smooth. Wrap the dough in parchment paper and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
   
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
   
   
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1/16 inch (2mm) thick. Grease and flour a 10-inch (25cm) fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, then lay the dough over it, pressing it into the edges and leaving an overhang. Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Blind bake the shell for 25 minutes, then remove the pie weights and parchment, trim the overhang, lightly brush the crust with the remaining egg and return it to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the bottom is just starting to brown. Remove and set aside.
   
   
4. Make the filling. Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and add the pumpkin or squash. Set over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring regularly, for 15-20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender. Puree the pumpkin and cream mixture in a blender until it’s smooth and silky, then add the sugar, eggs and egg yolk and blend for a few more seconds to combine.
   
   
5. Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Let the chocolate melt slowly, then remove from the heat. Pour the pumpkin puree into the melted chocolate and stir well to combine.
   
   
6. Pour the filling into the tart shell. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool. Sprinkle the top with the flaky sea salt before serving.