apanese Knotweed Frangipane Tart is a modern British recipe for a classic tart of a pastry based topped with Japanese knotweed jam with an almond frangipane filling into which Japanese knotweed pieces are inserted. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Japanese Knotweed Frangipane Tart.
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slices of japanese knotweed frangipane tart with a pastry base, knotweed jam filling and frangipane topping studded with knotweed pieces on a sheet of greaseproof paper
I recently learned that an alternative name for Japanese knotweed is 'Donkey rhubarb', which makes sense due to the rhubarby flavour of the vegetable's young stem. This flavour also means that it pairs very well with almonds. I think of this as a classic Easter recipe, which I normally prepare with rhubarb. Here though I'm using Japanese knotweed as a substitute (to go back to the rhubarb version simply substitute rhubarb versions for the knotweed ingredients).
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
200g plain flour
20g icing sugar
100g cold unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
For the filling and glaze:
125g soft unsalted butter, plus extra
125g golden caster sugar
1 large egg
125g ground almonds
½ tsp ground cardamom (from about 20 pods)
8 tbsp Japanese knotweed jam (enough to cover the base of the tart)
100g Japanese knotweed stems cut into 2cm lengths
40g caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
Method:
Begin by preparing the pastry. Tip the flour, icing sugar and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl, dice the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture comes to resemble breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk, followed by 1-2 tablespoons of cold water (enough to bring everything together as a dough). Knead the dough together with your hands until properly combined. Try not to overwork the dough; stop as soon as it comes together in a ball as this will keep if flaky. Wrap in clingfilm, then chill the dough in your refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, roll it out until it is the thickness of a pound coin. Grease a deep 23cm-diameter tart tin (or use a 22cm square baking tin). Carefully transfer the pastry to the tin, pushing it into the corners, and patching up any cracks or tears. Trim any overhang. Leave the pastry to chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. In the meantime, pre-heat your oven to 190°C, (170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).
Scrunch up a sheet of baking paper into a ball, then lay it on top of the pastry (it will go in easier this way). Fill this with baking beans, making sure that you press them into the corners. Transfer the tart tin to your pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the baking beans and paper and cook for another 5 minutes until the pastry is nicely golden.
While the tart shell is baking, you can make the frangipane. Cream together the butter and golden caster sugar until light and creamy, then beat in the egg. Fold through the ground almonds and the cardamom. Once the tart shell is golden, remove from the oven then spread the Japanese knotweed jam over the base. Spoon in the frangipane, and press the knotweed pieces into the frangipane. Return the finished tart to the oven and bake for another 35–40 minutes, or until the frangipane is nicely coloured and set.
Remove the tart from the oven, and let it cool in the tin for 5 minutes. As it cools, dissolve the 40g sugar in 2 tablespoons of water in a small pan and simmer until slightly syrupy. Remove from the heat, and add the vanilla. Brush the glaze over the top of the warm tart, and allow to cool before slicing and serving.
This can be served with tea or coffee. It also makes a great dessert with ice cream or custard.
