I have given you a little extra mix in case you need it (slightly larger tin, super
tall sides with no blind-baking shrinkage – you genius!). Save any excess for
a personal serve of crème anglaise.

Hover your microplane over the custard top and grate the nutmeg
over, blanketing the top with a fine spiced snowdrift.

Hold tight to your nutmeg – if you lose control and it plonks into the custard,
carefully fish it out and grate more nutmeg over the part where the nutmeg
fell in. If you have an under-counter oven, a deep squat will be required. It’s
leg day! Phew!
Set the timer for 40 minutes and then do the first wobble check.

If it’s still liquid, bake an extra 5 minutes and check again. Keep
checking every 5 minutes until there is a 7 cm (2¾ in) diameter
centre of quivering eggy (not milkshakey) wobble to the custard
(78–80°C/172–176°F internal temperature). Keep in mind that the
tart will continue cooking after the heat is turned off (like a steak does
after grilling).

Turn the oven off and keep the door closed and leave for 5 minutes.

The wobbly centre should have set firm and feel like a delicately
bouncy custard trampoline when touched lightly with your fingertips.

Leave it 5 minutes longer if it’s not quite set.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at
least 2 hours, then chill for another hour to reach the optimal eating
moment. If you have chilled your tart overnight, allow it to come to
room temperature before eating. To slice, very gently slide your knife
through the top custard skin and then push through the middle to
crunch-cut the base. Grate extra nutmeg over the top, cut and eat
your first wobbly slice. The inner tart sides left behind will bulge
slightly, threatening to collapse. You have achieved tart nirvana. It is
perfect. You are perfect.

* If the crust has broken, turn the filling into crème caramel. Pour a chestnut- coloured caramel made from boiling 150 g (5½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
and 50 g/ml (1¾ oz) water into a leakproof small loaf tin or 20 cm (8 in) shallow
round tin. When the caramel has set but is still warm (a push mark from a
spoon leaves a dent), pour the custard in. Bake at 140°C (285°F) in a water
bath, covered tightly with foil (poke a few holes in the foil) for 80 minutes, until
the custard has a viscous wobble (use the jiggle clues for the tart above). Cool
in the water bath to room temperature and then chill for a minimum of 3 hours
before unmoulding.

Adaptrix
Fruity smear
I love a fine fruity layer between
crust and custard. Smear 100 g
(3½ oz) puréed roasted quince/
quince paste warmed to spreadable/
Fruit mince mix (page 119) or well-
drained roasted rhubarb purée on
the blind-baked and sealed crust.

Bake for 5 minutes to form a dry top
before gently scooping the custard
over (pouring will disrupt the fruit).

See Burn it (page 93) for a brûléed
top version.