IMBB: Bitter-Orange and Blueberry Tart

Update! (25 April Melbourne time): I just realised, while desperately wondering if I have enough time to make my polenta entry for IMBB that this entry posted yesterday also fits the orange criteria! Why didn't I think of using it in the first place? I can be so dumb. So, here is my entry. And stay tuned to see if I can get my polenta thing on time (It's 14 hours behind in Cleveland and still Sunday night over there...!)
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I'm writing this in between the wedding service and wedding reception of my friend's sister. They're off having photos taken in the grounds of our old school in the hours between events, so as I live very close to the church I've popped home to get into evening wear and faff around at home a bit.
I made this tart a few weeks ago because I had leftover sweet pastry from my little pineapple cakes. I lined a large tart tin with it and stuck it in the freezer until I had an opportunity to use it. I saw the recipe for this Bitter-Orange and Blueberry tart in Domestic Goddess in the meatime, and had a friend's birthday party coming up, so chose to use my tart crust for it. The ingredients and methods for the crust looked fairly similar, and it worked well.
I couldn't get Seville oranges, which is no suprise, because they're hard to come by everywhere, so I used Nigella's idea of half eating oranges and hald limes (I used a good bottled lime juice; fresh limes are so expensive!) I actually didn't have enough cream, so used some cream cheese mixed with milk, which made the tart taste a bit more like a cheesecake. In fact that's what most people thought it was.
This tart was, interestingly, most popular with guys rather than girls. I guess that's because it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet or gooey. The filling is nice and tart, and the berry glaze is fruity. I used frozen berries, as fresh are far too expensive, and in the glaze their presentation wasn't paramount. But, it was an elegant little creation!
Read on for the recipe


Bitter Orange and Blueberry Tart

For the filling:
juice (200ml) and zest of 1 eating orange and 1 lime or of 2-3 Seville oranges
250g caster sugar
300ml double cream
6 large eggs

for the pastry:
90g soft unsalted butter
75g caster sugar
3 large egg yolks
175g plain flour

for the glaze:
1 tablespoon arrowroot
50g caster sugar
2 scant teaspoons orange juice
125ml water
250g blueberries (I used frozen)
24x6cm fluted tart tin

Start with the filling, a couple of days in advance, if this suits. In a large bowl or, better still, a wide mouthed measuring jug, mix the juice with the sugar, add the zest, double cream and eggs, and stir to comvine. Cover and chill for 2-3 days in the fridge or leave for a few hours at room temperature.
You can make the pastry at the same time as you mix up the juices and cream or a day or two later. Cream the butter and sugar together then add the yolks one at a time. Stir in the flour to form a soft dough, then form into a fat disc, wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for half and hour. Preheat the oven to 180c and put in a baking sheet. Roll out the pastry to fit the flan tin and line, pushing gently down so that it lies flat at the bottom, leaving a little overhang. Put back in the fridge for a further 20 minutes to rest again.
Roll a rolling pin over the top of the flan case to cut off excess pastry neatly. Line the tin with foil or crumpled baking parchments and fill with baking bearns. Put the tin in the oven for 15 mintues and remover the beans/foil/paper and give it another 5-10 minutes until the bottom has dried out. Transfer to a wire rack to cool a little and turn the oven down to 170C.
Strain the liquid mixture into the pastry case to remove the zest , put back on the sheet in the oven and cook for 45 minutes (itm ay be easier if you sieve the mixture into a jug and pour from this into the pastry case already on the sheet in the oven with the rack pulled out).
When the tart's cooked - and it should be firm on top but with a hint of a wobble underneath - remove to a wire rack and let cool. Unmould and transfer to a serving plate.
To make the glazed blueberry topping, combine the arrowroot and sugar in a small saucepan, then stir in the juice and water. Put the pan on the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time: it should turn clear pretty soon. Take it off the heat and add the blueberries, then spoon the now-glossy berries over the waiting tart. Leave to set for about 10 minutes.
Serves 8.