Vanilla Panna Cotta Tart with Red Currants

Tart Shell

• 230 g all-purpose flour
• 125 g unsalted butter chilled and diced
• 50 g powdered sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp whole milk

To glaze the tart shell

• 1 egg yolk
• a couple of drops of boiling water

Red Currant–Vanilla Panna Cotta Filling

• 1 heaping cup fresh red currants use up to 1½ cups if available
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (≈67 g)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 large vanilla bean
• scant 2 tsp powdered gelatin
• 4 tbsp cold water

To decorate

• white currants

Make the tart shell

1. Put the flour and chilled, diced butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on low until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add the powdered sugar and mix gently until just combined.
3. Add the egg yolk and milk, increase the speed to medium-low, and mix until the dough begins to come together.
4. Gather the dough into plastic wrap, form it into a ball, then flatten to a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
5. When chilled, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to about 1/8 inch thick. Remove the top parchment, transfer the dough (parchment side down) to a 9-inch fluted tart pan, remove the remaining parchment, and gently press the dough into the pan. Leave a slight overhang of about 1/2 inch and press the dough into the fluted sides. Reserve any extra dough for patching.
6. Chill the fitted tart shell in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
7. Place the tart shell on a baking sheet and prick the bottom all over with a fork at roughly 1-inch intervals. Line with crumpled parchment and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice.
8. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, then return the shell to the oven for 5 minutes more, until the dough no longer looks raw.
9. Patch any cracks with reserved dough if needed. Mix the remaining egg yolk with a couple of drops of boiling water and brush the inside of the shell to seal the pastry.
10. Return the tart shell to the oven and bake another 15 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack while still on the baking sheet. When cool, trim the overhang with a peeler and brush out any crumbs.

Make the panna cotta filling

1. In a medium bowl, combine the red currants and granulated sugar. Let them macerate for 30 minutes so they release their juices and color.
2. Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan, add the currant-sugar mixture (including juices), scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean, and heat gently until just steaming (about 160–170°F / 70–77°C). Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes to infuse the cream with currant flavor and color.
3. Toward the end of the steeping time, place the 4 tablespoons cold water in a heatproof, spouted container and sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over the water. Let the gelatin soften for a few minutes.
4. Reheat the currant-cream gently until steaming again. Set a fine-mesh sieve over the container with the softened gelatin and pour the hot currant-cream through the sieve, pressing the solids with a spatula to extract as much pink-tinged liquid as possible.
5. Whisk the strained currant-cream thoroughly into the softened gelatin until fully dissolved and smooth.
6. Place the cooled tart shell (still on its baking sheet) in the refrigerator. Carefully pour the panna cotta filling into the shell, smoothing the top if needed.
7. Refrigerate the tart to set overnight or for at least 4 hours until the filling is firm to the touch.
8. When fully set, decorate the surface with white currants for a pretty contrast and serve chilled.