Pastéis de Nata
The pastel de nata is the star of Portugal's convent pastry tradition: a crisp puff-pastry shell holding a silky, egg-yolk custard scorched on top. The secret lies in two points: a sugar syrup taken to the thread stage and a very hot oven, which bakes the tart in just a few minutes and gives it those signature blistered spots.
- Yields
- 12 tarts
- Prep
- 40 min (plus chilling)
- Cook
- 12-15 min
Ingredients
- 1 sheet (≈ 250 g) Puff pastry (preferably all-butter)
- 200 g Sugar
- 100 ml Water
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 strip Lemon peel
- 250 ml Whole milk
- 30 g (≈ 2.5 tbsp) Plain flour
- 6 Egg yolks
- 1 pinch Salt
Method
Combine the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and lemon peel in a pan. Bring to the boil without stirring and cook to the thread stage (≈ 105 °C / 221 °F): when you lift a spoon, the syrup should run off in a fine thread. Take off the heat and discard the cinnamon and lemon.
In a separate pan, whisk the flour into half of the cold milk until smooth and lump-free. Add the rest of the milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a smooth paste. Do not let it boil hard.
Pouring in a thin stream and stirring constantly, add the hot syrup to the milk paste. Stir until smooth and let it cool until just warm.
Stir the egg yolks and a pinch of salt into the warm custard (never boiling hot, or they will scramble) until fully combined. Pass the custard through a sieve into a jug. It should be thin and pourable.
Roll the puff pastry into a tight log along its length. Cut 12 discs about 2 cm thick and place each one, spiral facing up, into a tart tin.
With a dampened thumb, press the pastry from the centre up the sides, lining each tin well and leaving the rim slightly higher. The pastry should be thin and even. Chill the lined tins for 20-30 minutes.
While the pastry chills, preheat the oven as hot as it will go (250-290 °C / 480-550 °F), with bottom heat.
Fill each tin to about three-quarters full with custard, leaving room for it to rise.
Bake the tarts for 12-15 minutes on the lowest shelf, until the pastry is crisp and the custard is dark and blistered on top.
Remove and let cool for a few minutes before unmoulding. Serve warm, dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar to taste.