Portuguese Egg Tart (Poh Taht, Pateis de Belem, pastel de nata)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup half and half (½ cup cream combined with ½ cup whole milk)
3 Tbsp sugar
a pinch of salt
3 large egg yolks
1½ inches cassia or cinnamon stick
2 strips lemon peel, each 2-3" long and ½" thick (use a vegetable peeler to remove)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
10 oz frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

Direction:

1. Put the cornstarch into a small, heavy bottomed saucepan. Whisk in a few Tbsps of the half-and-half to dissolve the cornstarch. Then add the sugar, salt, and egg yolks. Whisk to combine. Add the remaining half and half, then whisk to blend. Drop in the cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
2. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring frequently with the whisk or a spoon, for about 8 mins, until very thick. When the custard gets hot and steam wafts from the pot, stir constantly to ensure even cooking. When done, it should jiggle a bit when you shake the pan. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Transfer to a bowl, loosely cover with a piece of parchment or wax paper, making sure the surface touches that of the custard; this prevents a skin from forming. Set aside to cool. (The custard can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before using.) Makes 1 1/4 cups.
4. Work with the puff pastry when it is cold as it is much easier to manipulate. Take it straight from the refrigerator and put it on an unfloured cutting board. If necessary, roll it out into a rectangle that is a generous 1/8 inch thick. Pick up one of the longer edges and roll the pastry up into a log that is about 1 inch thick. Roll the log gently to seal well. Tap the ends in to flatten them. Put the log on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, position the oven rack about 4 inches away from your broiler. Preheat the oven to 205C. Have ready a nonstick mini-muffin pan; each of the 12 wells in such a pan is about 2" wide and 5/8" deep. Nearby have a small bowl of water and the custard.
6. Remove the pastry log from the refrigerator and cut it in half. Work with one half at a time, keep the other one covered and refrigerated.  Cut the log into 10 even pieces. Put one, with one of the cut sides facing up, in each of the muffin pan wells. If the pastry is hard, let it soften for a couple minutes. Wet one of your thumbs with water, then push it straight down in the center of the dough spiral as if you’re making a thumbprint cookie.
7. Then use the thumb to flatten the pastry against the bottom of the well and then up its sides. Aim for an overall thickness of about 1/8". Work the corner of the well with your index finger as it’s an area where the dough tends to be gather. Then gently push the dough above the rim about 1/8" to form a lip. The dough will sink back down as it sits but try your best. If the dough seems too elastic and resists your will, refrigerate the muffin pan for 15 mins to relax the pastry before giving it another try.
8. Fill each well about ¾ full. A scant 1 Tbsp is what I typically use. Too little custard and the baked tarts show too much of their tanned shoulders of pastry. Too much custard and the custard will spill out and form a funny looking lava-like flow. Regardless, your tarts will taste great.
9. Slide the muffin pan into the oven and bake for 12 to 13 mins, until the custard has puffed up into a mushroomlike dome and small cracks form. Then switch on the broiler and broil the tarts for about 3 mins, monitoring them carefully, until the tops have acquired little caramelized burnt spots. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 mins, then unmold by slipping a dinner knife between the pastry and the muffin well.  Serve warm.

Baking at a moderately high heat and then switching to broil results in the crème brulee like top. The puff pastry (I used all-butter Dufour brand sold at many high-end grocery stores) makes for a super light shell. You can use your favorite brand or ask a nearby bakery to supply you. Or instead of puff pastry, try a short pastry crust for a tender, rich crust. I used the one that I developed for Singaporean spiced pineapple filled pastries (kuih tart, page 195 in Asian Dumplings). Omit the annatto as that causes the dough to overbrown. If you use this short pastry dough, bake the tarts at 375F for 10 to 12 minutes and then broil them for 3 to 5 minutes. The custard will not puff up like with the puff pastry but the flavor will be just as lovely.

Makes 20 small tarts

Roast Chicken

Ingredients:
1 (5-6 lb) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 Tbsp (¼ stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2" chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. 
3. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. 
4. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
5. Roast the chicken for  ½ hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 mins. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Recipe from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa