Smoked Rosemary & Fig...Smoked Rosemary & Fig Tart with Chèvre Mousse and Salted Honey Gelée

An avant-garde Michelin-caliber dessert balancing the resinous warmth of smoked rosemary with a velvety, tangy goat cheese mousse, torched fresh figs, and a shimmering layer of salted amber honey gelée.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the pastry shell: In a food processor, pulse the toasted pine nuts, flour, powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon of finely minced rosemary until it resembles a fine sand. Add cold cubed butter and pulse until a cohesive dough forms. Press the dough evenly into six 8cm tart rings, prick the bases with a fork, and freeze for 15 minutes.

2. 02

   Bake the tart shells: Bake the chilled tart crusts at 175°C (350°F) for 12 to 14 minutes until pale golden and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

3. 03

   Create the Chèvre Mousse: Warm 50ml of the heavy cream in a small saucepan. Squeeze excess water from 1 bloomed gelatin sheet and stir it into the warm cream until fully dissolved. In a bowl, whip the goat cheese with 40ml of honey and a pinch of fleur de sel until smooth. Fold the warm cream-gelatin mixture into the cheese. Whip the remaining 150ml of heavy cream to soft peaks, then gently fold into the goat cheese mixture. Pipe the mousse into the cooled tart shells, leaving a 2mm gap at the top. Chill for 45 minutes to set.

4. 04

   Craft the Honey Gelée: Combine 80ml of honey, 60ml of water, and a tiny pinch of salt in a saucepan; bring to a bare simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the second bloomed gelatin sheet. Allow the gelée mixture to cool to room temperature (around 25°C) while remaining fluid. Carefully spoon a thin layer of honey gelée over the set chèvre mousse. Transfer back to the refrigerator for 1 hour to set completely.

5. 05

   Smoke the tarts: Arrange the set tarts under a glass cloche. Ignite a dry sprig of rosemary using a kitchen blowtorch until smoking vigorously, place it under the cloche, seal, and let the smoke cold-infuse the tarts for exactly 3 minutes. Remove cloche and let the ambient smoke dissipate.

6. 06

   Caramelize the figs and plate: Press the cut sides of the halved figs into demerara sugar. Use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar on the figs until bubbling, glassy, and deeply amber. Arrange the warm caramelized figs elegantly on top of the set honey gelée, garnish with tiny fresh rosemary micro-leaves, and finish with a light whisper of fleur de sel. Serve immediately.