Hetty McKinnon is back. The Sydneysider-turned-New Yorker is a consistent favourite in our cookbook stack: copies of Community, Neighbourhood and To Asia With Love are well-thumbed and splashed with elements of her moreish recipes. Her latest release, Linger, spells out stories, salads and sweet treats to share with friends and family.
“My culinary life began with salad. A charred broccoli salad, to be specific. Crispy florets tossed with chickpeas and cooling mint, flecked with red chilli pepper and zested lemon peel, bathed in a garlicky caper oil. That salad inspired me to consider possibilities. It ultimately led me here,” she writes.
On the sweet side, McKinnon turns to her favourite local bakery – Four and Twenty Blackbirds in Brooklyn – for inspiration. “Their not-too-sweet pie has the perfect earthy custard set in the flakiest pie crust. My version is encased in the easiest shell, made of pulverised Ginger Nut biscuits and butter – it’s crisp, just sweet enough and packs a lot of flavour.”
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McKinnon advises that it’s best to use a culinary-grade matcha – which is available from spice companies, Asian grocery stores and online – as it’s less bitter and has a better flavour.
Hetty McKinnon’s matcha and ginger custard pie
Serves 8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes, plus 2–3 hours to cool
Ingredients
285g Ginger Nut biscuits
¼ tsp sea salt
70g vegan or dairy butter, melted
Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
Matcha and ginger custard
150g (⅔ cup) white sugar
20g (6 tsp) rice flour
¼ tsp sea salt
2 tsp culinary grade matcha
2 tsp ground ginger
110g vegan or dairy butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 × 400ml can coconut milk, well shaken
1 tsp vanilla extract
For gluten free
Use gluten-free biscuits
Substitute
Ginger Nut biscuits: Shredded Wheatmeal or Marie biscuits, Digestives
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the biscuits in a small blender or food processor and blitz into fine crumbs (about 30–45 seconds). Add the salt, pour in the melted butter and blend for 5–10 seconds to combine (if using a food processor, pulse 6–8 times).
Press the crumbs into the base of a deep 20cm loose-bottom tart tin, spreading them evenly across the base and up the sides – ideally, about 2–3cm up the sides to form a deep shell. Use your fingers to press the crumbs firmly into place – take your time to make it neat. Place in the oven and bake until just set, 5–6 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, to make the custard, place the sugar, rice flour, salt, matcha and ginger in a bowl and whisk by hand until there are no lumps. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each one before adding the next – don’t overbeat, as too much air can cause bubbles on the surface.
Add the coconut milk and vanilla and whisk gently until well combined and smooth. Gently tap the bowl on the work surface to release any air bubbles.
Place the tart shell on a baking tray. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve directly into the tart shell, stopping before it reaches the top edge. Depending on the size of your tin, you may have some custard left over.
Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the edge of the custard is set and slightly puffed, and the centre has a slight wobble.
Cool the pie on a wire rack for 2–3 hours. It will continue to set as it cools. Dust with icing sugar (if using) and serve at room temperature or chilled.
Tip: If there are bubbles on the surface before baking, pop them with a toothpick for a smoother finish.
Prep ahead: The pie can be prepared ahead and stored in the fridge for 3–5 days.
This is an edited extract of Linger by Hetty Lui McKinnon, published by Pan Macmillan Australia. RRP $44.99.
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