Portuguese custard tarts

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Portuguese custard tarts sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Portuguese traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 77 minutes in a single skillet, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 12 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. Roll the pastry
2. Step 2. Mix the flour and icing sugar, and use this to dust the work surface. Roll the pastry out to make a 45 x 30cm rectangle. Roll up lengthways to create a long sausage shape.
3. Step 3. Cutting pastry into rounds
4. Step 4. Cut the pastry into 24 wheels, about 1-2cm thick.
5. Step 5. Roll out each pastry portion
6. Step 6. Roll each wheel lightly with the rolling pin to fit 2 x 12-hole non-stick fairy cake tins.
7. Step 7. Press pastry into the tin
8. Step 8. Press the pastry circles into the tins and mould into the tins to make thin cases. Chill until needed.
9. Step 9. Make the infused syrup
10. Step 10. Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Make a sugar syrup by bringing the sugar, 200ml water, lemon zest and cinnamon stick to the boil. Reduce until syrupy, allow to cool, then remove the cinnamon and lemon. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and cornflour until smooth in another large pan.
11. Step 11. Making custard
12. Step 12. Heat the milk and vanilla pod seeds in a separate pan until just below the boil. Gradually pour the hot milk over the eggs and cornflour, then cook on a low heat, continually whisking.
13. Step 13. Add syrup to custard
14. Step 14. Add the cooled sugar syrup to the custard and whisk until thickened slightly.
15. Step 15. Pour custard into the tins
16. Step 16. Pour the custard through a sieve. Pour into the pastry cases and bake for 15 minutes until the pastry is golden and the custard has darkened.
17. Step 17. cool and dust with icing sugar
18. Step 18. Cool completely in the tins then sift over icing sugar and ground cinnamon to serve.

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest skillet you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with portuguese roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 6-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.