A classic combination chocolate and prunes, this tart makes use of one of Romania’s finest inventions, a rendered down plum paste known as “Magiun de Prune” which relies on the natural sweetness of the plums and is a heavenly sticky concoction. It is yes just rendered down plums which in the season are simply simmered slowly in huge wide pots, usually outdoors until a thick unctuous paste remains. This paste is sweet, sticky and extremely high in iron. I love it eaten with yoghurt or spread on toast.
To give it a little kick I added some “Tuica” another home made plum product. This is the local firewater and yes indeed it is traditionally downed for breakfast in Transilvania (cuts through the smoked pork fat). Delish! and no outrageous levels of obesity and 21st century diseases and ailments up there of course. Just a diet high in pig fat, eau de vie and hard physical work. Back to the recipe in hand…
This recipe actually uses the filling from Simon Hopkinson’s Chocolate Tart and I have made this without problem for many years. I use my Very Buttery Pastry however, so I can have a really thin pastry shell. In the picture I have garnished with a very retro little brandy snap and a scoop of parsnip ice cream but vanilla works well as does a good high fat content sour cream/ creme fraiche.
[recipe title=”Chocolate & Magiun de Prune Tart” servings=”4-6″]
Gadgets & Gizmos
A loose bottomed tin (20cm) and a rolling pin
Ingredients
- 1 quantity of Very Buttery Pastry
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 whole eggs
- 40g sugar
- 150g butter
- 200g 70% min cocoa solids chocolate
- 1 expresso
- 150ml magiun de prune
- a good slurp of “Tuica” or substitute Rum or Cognac
How To
First blind bake your pastry case.
While the pastry case is baking (but don’t burn it) make the chocolate foam for that is what the filling is. You will make a sugar and egg foam as if making a Genoise sponge and add to this the melted butter and chocolate. I quite often use the result as a little “pot au chocolat” mixture.
Whisk the eggs and sugar until foamy. I use a food mixer.
While they are being whisked melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of just boiling water (or microwave on low). Then add the expresso. This intensifies the chocolate flavour.
Now add the melted choco/butter mixture and for a moment admire the patterns before gently folding in with a spatula so as to lose as little air as possible
so pretty! I didnt want to fold it all in!
Meanwhile thin down the magiun a little with some illicit grog…
spread over the base of the pastry case
Once you have a layer of the magiun covering the pastry…
pour over the chocolate foam right up to the rim
a small tip – put the tarts on the tray that you will place in the oven before you do the filling – to avoid spillage – and bake at 180C for only 5 minutes
Then leave to cool. To serve , cut with a warm knife as if cutting a chocolate mousse cake.
I quite like a glass of port with this [/recipe]