Ease of Preparation: Easy
Time of Preparation: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
For the shortcrust pastry:
- 6 ounces plain flour (175 grams)
- 1-½ ounces lard at room temperature (40 grams)
- 1-½ ounces butter or margarine (40 grams)
- Coldwater
For the filling:
- 1 ½ pounds fruit (700 grams)
- 3 ounces sugar (75 grams)
- 2 rounded tablespoons semolina (1 ounce)
- 1 egg yolk
For the glaze:
- 1 egg white
- 6 sugar cubes, crushed
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 Centigrade)
Make the pastry by sifting the flour into a large bowl and then adding the lard and butter in lumps, rub in the fat with your fingertips until the mixture has the consistency of dry breadcrumbs. Bring it together with a small amount of cold water and knead to bring it fully together until there are no crumbs left. Place in a plastic bag or wrap in the fridge to rest for half an hour.
Meanwhile, prepare your gooseberries. Top and tail them, removing any hard black pieces.
Flour a flat surface. Roll out the pastry, turning constantly while you are rolling so that you achieve a uniformly round shape. Now transfer the pastry to a greased baking sheet. Brush the bottom of the pastry with egg yolk, then dust with the semolina to prevent the bottom of the pastry from getting soggy from excess juice from the fruit.
Pile the fruit in the bottom of the pastry, sprinkling with sugar as you go. Turn in the edges of the pastry to make an open-topped basket. Brush the pastry with egg white and sprinkle with crushed sugar cubes. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream.