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Photo: Phil Guest / Wikimedia Commons

James Martin says of his ‘delice au cassis’ that it is an advanced pastry but that it is one of the best looking and best tasting desserts in his book, James Martin Desserts. The tart is sophisticated in every way, from its blackcurrant mousse filling to its shiny jelly-glaze finish. James suggests that the glaze can be given a mirror-finish by quickly using a blow torch on the set jelly topping. The tart is finally decorated with various fresh berries.

Prepare syrup

Place the following ingredients into a pan: 375 grams of sugar, 325 ml of water and 30 grams of glucose. Stir occasionally as you bring the mixture to the boil – then boil for about three minutes (or until a saccharometer reads 30 degrees Celsius Beaume or 1.2624 on the density scale).

Strain the syrup and allow it to cool.

Prepare blackcurrant purée

Place 50 ml of the cool syrup in a blender with 350 grams of blackcurrants and strain (James Martin uses a conical strainer). Put four tablespoons of the blackcurrant purée aside and place the rest in a saucepan.

Prepare mousse

Soak four and a half gelatine leaves for 15 minutes in cold water before draining (read the manufacturer’s instructions). Add 12 grams of powdered milk and half a vanilla pod to the syrup in the saucepan and bring to the boil.

Whisk three medium egg yolks with 25 grams of sugar until the mixture reaches the ‘ribbon stage’. Then pour the boiling mixture over the egg mix – whisking continuously as you pour. Place the mixture back into the saucepan and stir continuously with a spatula. Don’t let the mousse boil – it will be ready when it coats the spatula.

Take the pot off the stove and sir the gelatine (that has been drained) into the mixture. Strain the mousse and leave to cool a little. To prevent a skin from forming on the mousse, stir it occasionally.

Prepare sponge flan

Place a 25 cm (or slightly larger) ready made sponge flan onto a serving plate. Mix one tablespoon of the blackcurrant purée with 50 ml of the syrup. Using a pastry brush (beware of loose bristles), brush this mixture over the sponge flan.

Using a 25 cm flan ring (6 cm deep) as a marker, cut the sponge to size.

Prepare meringue mousse

Gently fold a batch of Italian meringue (click here for the recipe) into the lukewarm mousse. Using a balloon whisk, stir in 200 ml of crème de cassis. Beat 400 ml of double cream until it reaches the ‘ribbon stage’ –then fold it into the mixture with a spatula.

Assemble

Place the mousse over the sponge base in the flan ring, allowing a 3 mm gap on top. Smooth the top and refrigerate overnight. Soak and drain 3 gelatine leaves ‑stir this into 50 ml of syrup and the remaining purée then strain through a muslin cloth.

Glaze the top and refrigerate to set. Decorate with fresh berries.

Tags: desserts