Pies, Puddings and Pottages

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.

Grease the tart tin with butter.

To make the pastry place the butter and icing sugar in the mixing bowl and whisk together with the electric hand whisk until smooth and pale in colour. If using a food processor, place the butter and icing sugar in the processor bowl and whizz to a smooth paste.

Add the beaten egg and continue whisking until fully incorporated. Or add the beaten egg to the processor bowl and whizz until fully incorporated.

Add the flour and salt and fold in until you have a very soft dough. Or add the flour to the processor bowl and process until you have a very soft dough.

Place on lightly floured work surface and use your hands to mould the dough into a ball.

Place a sheet of baking paper on the work surface and place the ball of dough on it.

Place another sheet of baking paper over the top and roll out between the sheets of baking paper to about 2mm thick.

Place the disc of pastry and baking paper sandwich in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the pastry disc from the fridge and peel off the top piece of baking paper.

Flip the pastry disc over and lay in the tart tin and use your fingers to line the tin.

Place the pastry case in its tin in the fridge for a further 30 minutes.

Remove from the fridge and scrunch up a large piece of baking paper, open it out and place over the pastry.

Fill with baking beans and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Take out of the oven, remove the paper and baking beans and brush the pastry with the beaten egg.

Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.

Once cooled place a single layer of tightly packed gooseberries on the pastry base.

Place the sugar and egg yolks in the medium mixing bowl and beat with the electric hand whisk until pale and thick.

Add the double cream and flour and continue to whisk until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Pour the mixture over the gooseberries and place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before taking out of the tart tin and placing on a plate.

Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.