When it comes to summer fruits, gooseberries are never anyone’s first thought. Make sure to change that by giving these pies a go, the delicate custard combined with the tart berries is a real taste experience and they’re a nice way to round off a meal.
Ingredients:
For the pie:
6 sheets filo pastry (you could make your own if you like!)
50g butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
For the gooseberry compote:
200g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
500g gooseberries
For the custard:
300ml double cream
300ml full fat milk
2 vanilla pods
4 large egg yolks
50g caster sugar
20g plain flour
20g cornflour
You could substitute the flour and get a gluten free pastry to make this suitable for those who are on a gluten free diet if needed. Get local eggs from Fluffetts You can pick up the majority of these ingredients at one of Dorset’s farmshops or delis and grab locally produced milk and cream from one of these dairies.
Method:
Start off by making the gooseberry compote filling first.
Put the sugar and vanilla pod with the seeds in a saucepan with 3 tbsp water and bring to the boil, gently swirling rather than stirring.
Drop in the gooseberries and simmer for around 20 minutes, or until the liquid has halved.
Divide this mixture between four small pie dishes and put in the fridge to cool while you make the custard.
Next, the custard.
Put the cream, milk and vanilla pods with seeds in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil. While that’s bubbling away, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour together in a large bowl.
Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
Rinse the saucepan and then pour the custard mix back into the pan, cooking on a low heat, whisking constantly until thick. Sieve the mixture over a jug and discard the vanilla pods, then pour the custard over the compote in the pie dishes and leave to cool.
Heat your oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4.
Melt the butter and then lay one sheet of the filo on your worktop and brush with melted butter. Add another sheet and repeat until all pastry sheets have been used. On the final sheet, scatter over the sugar and then cut into four rectangles.
Lightly scrunch each rectangle and then place loosely on top of each pie dish.
Bake the pies in the oven for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and serve with a big dollop of ice cream or cream.
