Roman Nut Tart

This is an ancient Roman recipe. You probably don’t have any garum to hand. I certainly don’t. Salt is fine and probably preferable for a modern pallet.

Ingredients

  • 400g crushed nuts—almonds, walnuts or pistachios
  • 200g pine nuts
  • 100g honey
  • 100ml dessert wine
  • 4 eggs
  • 100ml full-fat sheep’s milk (or cow’s milk)
  • 1 teaspoon salt or garum
  • pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 240°C

Place the chopped nuts and the whole pine nuts in an oven dish and roast until they have turned golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C.

Mix the honey and the wine in a pan and bring to the boil, then cook until the wine has evaporated. Add the nuts and pine nuts to the honey and leave it to cool.

Beat the eggs with the milk, salt or garum and pepper. Then stir the honey and nut mixture into the eggs.

Oil an oven dish and pour in the nut mixture. Seal the tin with silver foil and place it in roasting tin filled about a third deep with water.

Bake for about 25 minutes until the pudding is firm. Take it out and when it is cold put it into the fridge to chill.

To serve, tip the tart on to a plate and pour over some boiled honey.

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