In a medium saucepan, whisk yolks with sugar, then add the rice flour, whisking till smooth and thick.
5 large egg yolks, 120 grams granulated sugar, 40 grams rice flour or cornflour/cornstarch/potato starch
Pour the warmed milk slowly into the egg mixture while stirring constantly. Mix till fully combined then turn on the heat to medium low. Continue stirring till the mixture thickens (around 5 minutes), making sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, then remove from the heat.
500 grams whole milk
Pour the custard into the chilled bowl and whisk quickly to cool it down. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming, then leave to cool on the counter before chilling.
Crust
Grease a 20cm/9-inch round loose-bottomed baking dish with butter.
butter
In a medium bowl, sieve together the flour and baking powder, then rub in the butter till you get a fine crumb, and set aside.
250 grams plain flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder
In a larger mixing bowl, beat together the egg and sugar then pour into the flour mixture.
1 large egg, 150 grams powdered/icing sugar
Mix together till a soft dough comes together and form a smooth ball. Take care not to overwork the dough.
Place some plastic wrap over the top and chill the dough for around 30 minutes.
Roll out the chilled pastry dough with uniform ½ cm/¼ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Then lift the dough onto the greased dish pressing into the edges, allowing the excess to hang off the sides. Roll or pinch the edges of the crust and use a fork to make holes in the bottom of the crust.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/380°F and remove the dough from the fridge. Crease some parchment paper, unfold it and place directly over the dough covering it entirely. Pour ceramic baking beans or dried beans over the top.
Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans and parchment paper and bake for a further 5 minutes till light golden brown. Set aside to cool before adding the filling.
Glaze
In a medium saucepan melt the jam with the lemon juice on medium heat stirring constantly, till the sauce thickens to a light syrupy consistency (around 5 minutes). Set aside to cool.
120 grams smooth apricot or strawberry jam, 2 tablespoons lemon juice or water
Assemble the tart
Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and whisk briefly to loosen it up. Pour into the crust, smoothing it down then add the topping.
Cut the strawberries into thin slices and arrange in a pattern over custard.
Brush the strawberries with the glaze and allow to dry before dusting with powdered sugar.
16 grams powdered/confectioners/icing sugar
Notes
Pastry Cream - The milk should only be warmed till steam rises. Do not bring it to a boil as hot milk will cook the eggs.
While zesting the lemon take care not to shave away any of the bitter white pith from under the skin.
Crust - Use cold butter for a light, soft and crumbly crust.
If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt, but skip the salt if using salted butter.
Take care not to overwork the dough or it will turn out dense and tough.
Lightly flour the surface before rolling out the dough. Too much flour could dry out the dough.
Line the greased pie dish with pastry dough, pressing into the edges and allow it to hang off the sides.
Cover and chill the pastry dough for 30 minutes for a tender crust.
Scrunching up the parchment paper first allows it to fit more securely over the pastry.
Serve - This strawberry tart may be served immediately but for best results, serve it chilled.
Store - Cover and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Do not freeze.