Small adventures in cooking - Chocolate, chilli and cardamom tart

Drop any preconceptions that I have completely lost the plot here and please have a go at this tart. It will knock your socks off, and your guests will think you're a total wizard.

Serves 8
300g ready-made shortcrust pastry
3 eggs, 1 beaten
250ml double cream
125ml whole milk
2 tbsp caster sugar
200g dark chocolate (minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids)
100g milk chocolate
10 cardamom pods
half a tsp hot chilli powder
salt
200ml single cream

Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out the pastry. Line a 25cm tart tin with the pastry and prick all over with a fork. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes (or the freezer for 10). Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

Line the pastry shell with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Discard the baking paper and beans and brush the pastry all over with the beaten egg. Put back in the oven for five minutes until golden.

Remove from the oven and turn down to 160°C/Gas 2.

Meanwhile, put the cream, milk and sugar in a medium saucepan and whisk over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to just below boiling point and remove from the heat. Break the chocolate into pieces and stir it into the hot cream. Lightly crush the cardamom pods and remove the little black seeds. Crush these in a pestle
and mortar and add to the mix along with the chilli powder and a pinch of salt.

Finally, beat the remaining eggs and stir into the mix until glossy. Tip this into the tart shell and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until set.

Remove and leave to cool completely before serving with lashings of single cream.

Recipe from Small Adventures in Cooking by James Ramsden (£14.99, Quadrille).