You don't always have to go to another country, or even to a restaurant For majors To taste some “International Cuisine” dishes. Sometimes, using ingredients that are easy to find close to home, you can easily cook some specialties from other parts of the world.
And even if it is true that sometimes there may be something small or that doubt missing Furthermore it It's a lot of fun when you travel, so why not do it.
Today, we'll be heading to Portugal with what can only be described as a real treat. It is the famous pasteis de nata.
Two words about Pastéis de Nata
If you have already visited Portugal and tasted it there, you will surely have very good memories of it.
Pastéis de nata are small custard tarts from Portugal, created in the 19th century.H century by the nuns of the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém (today a district of Lisbon) to sell to pilgrims to raise money.
It is made with crispy puff pastry and sweet cream, and is often flavored with cinnamon and lemon. They are served warm and cold, sprinkled with powdered sugar or cinnamon. The dessert is very popular in Portugal and can be found in cafes and pastry shops all over the country.
Pasta, true gastronomic symbols, has long crossed the borders of its country and is found in many places, in France and Europe but also in Asia where it arrived in the last century via the few colonies that Portugal had on this continent.
Homemade nata pastries
Ingredients (for dozens)
- 250 grams of puff pastry with pure butter
- Cinnamon powder
- icing sugar
For the cream
- 50 centiliters of semi-fat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 100 grams of fine sugar
- 35 grams of flour
- 5 egg yolks
to prepare
For the cream
1- In a saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla stick divided into two parts and the cinnamon stick.
2- In a bowl, whisk the sugar and flour until the mixture is smooth.
3- Gradually pour the hot milk over the sugar and flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid the formation of lumps.
4- Return the mixture to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens.
5- Remove the pan from the heat and let the cream cool slightly.
6- Add the egg yolks one by one to the cream, mixing well after each addition.
7- Refrigerate the cream for at least two hours.
For a smoother frosting, you can add a little heavy cream to the pastry cream.
For tartlets
1- Roll out the puff pastry on a floured work surface.
2- Cut the dough into 12 circles about 8cm in diameter before placing them in tart tins or muffin tins.
3- Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork to fan the cooking process.
For cooking
1- Take the cream out of the refrigerator and spread it over the tartlets.
2- Place the dough in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes (220°C or thermostat 7/8) until golden and crisp.
3- After cooking, sprinkle each with cinnamon powder and powdered sugar before serving.
The extra thing
Even if the pasta is best immediately after preparation, it can be kept for a period of time by refrigerating it in an airtight container. When ready to eat, reheat them in the oven at 200°C for about ten minutes.
enjoy your meal' !
