Method

• 1.
  Whiz flour and 1/4 tsp salt in a food processor. Add butter and whiz again until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. With the motor running, pour in iced water and process until pastry forms a ball around the blade. (It will come together faster in warmer weather.)

• 2.
  Remove pastry and shape it into a ball. Flatten into a disc and enclose in plastic wrap. Chill for about 40 minutes or until firm but supple enough to roll. You can make it a day or two ahead, but it will need to be returned to cool room temperature before it’s pliable enough to roll.
• 3.
  On a lightly floured board, roll out the pastry into a large round to fi t a 26-28cm loose-bottomed tart pan. Lift the pastry by rolling it around the rolling pin, then carefully drape it over the pan. Use your knuckles to gently press it in, leaving an overhang all around. (Trim a little pastry off the overhang and keep it in the fridge in case you need to patch any cracks later on.) Place the pan on a baking tray and chill for 30 minutes or until pastry is firm.
• 4.
  Preheat the oven to 200°C. Completely cover pastry with a big sheet of foil and press gently into the edges. Fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice to a depth of about 1cm. Bake for 20 minutes or until it’s nearly set. Remove from oven and run a rolling pin over the top edge of the foil to cut off overhanging pastry. Return to the oven, with the foil and weights, and bake for 8-10 minutes until the pastry is slightly coloured and feels firm and dry. Carefully remove the foil and weights. If there are any fine cracks in the pastry, patch them with the reserved pastry.
• 5.
  Brush egg wash over the pastry and return it to the oven for a further 2 minutes just to set. Remove and leave the tart shell to cool in the pan on a rack.