Cinema snacks: recreating recipes from the silver screen
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Welcome to the first episode of our series ‘Snack to the Future’, where we show you how to recreate snack-sized recipes from the screen, so you can munch your way through the movies along with your favourite characters. In this episode, we're bringing you a snack attack from Yorgos Lanthimos' feminist powerhouse, the provocative and unparalleled POOR THINGS.
This beautifully layered and down right bonkers film follows Bella Baxter as she rejects the limitations put on her by 'man' and goes on a quest to uncover life's pleasures; most notably for us... food. Culinary motifs are used to explore key themes throughout the film, making this movie a Bite Club favourite.
The most iconic Poor Things food moment is found in a colourfully depicted Lisbon with the glorious Pastel de Nata. But what is a Pastel de Nata, I hear you say? This Portuguese delicacy is an egg custard filling encased in a flaky, buttery and crisp pastry tart. Yum.
As her life pops into Technicolor, Bella's relationship with the tart beautifully encapsulates the themes of pushing boundaries, and learning our limits as we grow and evolve. The masterful Emma Stone says she ate 60 of these bad boys during filming... that would certainly push most people's limits! Unfortunately, this recipe will only make you 16, but you could always scale it up.
Get ready to inhale them with gusto, like life itself.
GO TO:
PASTEL DE NATA
Features at 42 mins & 21 seconds of Poor Things
EQUIPMENT
Before we begin, a quick note on baking tins! You can bake the tarts in a small muffin tin but they are easier to shape, a better size and, come out crisper if you use proper Pastel de Nata tins. These are the ones I am using and these are a more affordable version which I also have. The less expensive tins are a little smaller, so note that you will end up with 18-20 slighter smaller tarts which require a few minutes less baking.
INGREDIENTS (makes 16)
PASTRY
150g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
100ml cold water
120g unsalted butter - room temp
CUSTARD GO TO: METHOD
100 ml water
100g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 lemon - peel only
2 tbsp plain flour
125ml milk (to be divided)
1 vanilla pod or 1tsp of vanilla bean paste
3 large egg yolks
¼ tsp kosher salt
TO SERVE
dusting of icing sugar - optional
METHOD
PASTRY GO TO: INGREDIENTS
In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt, then slowly pour in the water, mixing to form dough. Roll into a ball, return to the bowl, cover and leave to rest for 30 mins.
Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured worktop and roll to a large rectangle, as thin as you can manage. Then take one third of the softened butter, and spread it in a thin, even layer over the dough, leaving about a centimetre around the outer edge butter free.
Fold the bottom third of the dough into the middle. Then do the same with the top, folding the top third of the dough into the middle. Pinch together the edges to seal.
Rotate the dough 90 degrees. Then repeat. Roll out the dough into a large thin rectangle, and then spread one third of the butter over the dough in a thin, even layer.
Repeat the folding process, taking the bottom third of the dough into the middle, then the top. Pinch the edges to seal. Rotate the dough 90 degrees.
Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, as thin as you can. Spread the remaining butter over the dough, leaving an inch at the top edge.
Roll tightly into a sausage, and trim the edges. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 1-2 hours, preferably overnight.
Notes:
Resting the dough for half an hour at the start will make it easier to handle
Using a dough scraper or palette knife makes spreading the butter easier.
If the dough is resisting during shaping, rest it for a few mins and then continue. It will make it easier to work with.
CUSTARD
Mix together the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Add in the cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Bring to a boil. Remove once all the sugar has dissolved. If you have a thermometer, heat to 100°C.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and 2 tbsps of the milk until smooth. Heat the remaining milk in a small saucepan until it reaches a simmer. Pour the hot milk over the flour/cold milk paste, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the seeds from the vanilla pod or the vanilla paste to the mixture.
Strain the sugar syrup to remove the cinnamon and lemon peel. And add the strained syrup to the milk mixture and leave to cool for around 5 mins. If you have a thermometer, the mixture should be less than 55°C when you add the egg yolks.
Once the mixture has cooled a little (It should be warm but not hot when you add the eggs- you dont want them to cook and scramble!) add the egg yolks. Season with the salt and whisk until smooth.
Pass the custard through a sieve to remove any lumps, cover and refrigerate until fully cooled.
Notes:
The custard must be cold before baking or it will curdle.
The custard should be thin at this stage as it will thicken as it bakes.
It is helpful to strain the custard into measuring jug so it's ready to pour into the pastry when you come to bake.
You could make the custard and the pastry the day before and keep it in the fridge before baking.
ASSEMBLY & BAKING
Preheat the oven to 270°C / 250°C fan.
Slice the cold dough into 16 even pieces -you should see a spiral running from the middle of the pastry outwards, like tree rings. These are your amazing layers!
Lay one slice of pastry into your muffin tray or tart mould. Using your fingers, press down from the middle outwards to stretch the dough. Work the pastry until it is even and fills the mould.
Pour the chilled custard until the pastry cases are about ¾ full. The custard will expand when baking so don't be tempted to overfill.
Bake for 15-20 mins until the pastry is golden brown and the custard has blackened on top.
Carefully remove from the moulds and cool on a wire rack. Cool for at least 10 mins, before serving dusted with icing sugar.
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