Try Chef Cheryl Koh’s Recipes For Korean Musk Melon & Muscat Grape Tarts

Sure, Singapore is no stranger to things like kimchi, gochujang and Korean instant noodles. But there’s been a wave of gourmet Korean produce in town lately, brought in by Culina in conjunction with the Korean Embassy and Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. And we’re impressed by the stuff we've tried. But we’re most impressed by these two fruits, as well as the perfume-y Yuja tea (think Korean yuzu). And they all starred recently in limited-edition tarts at the Les Amis Group-owned pastry shop Tarte by Cheryl Koh. Suffice to say, they were very yummy. Chef Cheryl Koh generously shares her recipes with us (see below). But first, you’ll have to get the main ingredients...

Available: July to February

If ever there was a perfect looking and tasting grape, this Shine Muscat is pretty much a contender for the title. It's found in the Sang-ju and Kim-cheon region of Korea. Apparently, farmers only grow one to two bunches of grapes per single grapevine to ensure the best flavour. Each seedless globe is large, crisp-skinned but perfectly juicy and sweet with that beautiful floral scent characteristic of the muscat variety. A bunch weighs approximately 700g, which costs about, gulp, $55. So slowly savour every divine orb.

Available: all year round

According to the press kit: "Seji musk melons are known as the luxury musk melons of Korea. They are extremely popular despite their hefty price tags". We can see why — the pretty fruit from sunny Naju in Jeollanamdo is supremely sweet and aromatic, though slightly crunchier near the skin than a Japanese musk melon. Tip: allow to ripen at room temperature for at least a week — we left ours on the kitchen counter for 10 days and thought it could do with another day or two more, though most of the flesh was already tender and inundated with delicious nectar.

Apparently, pesticide-free yuja (citrus fruit that's the Korean version of Japanese yuzu) from Goheung has a flavour that "surpasses those cultivated in other regions". The vitamin C-rich Sinkiwon’s Yuja Cheong (yuja citron preserve) brims with the bracing soul of the fruit that's part lemon, part orange, a tiny bit of grapefruit and a whole lotta intoxicating floral notes. It's called a "tea" because you can mix it with hot water to make a beverage, but really, you can use it in most desserts (see grape tart recipe) or even slather it on scones.

All products available at Culina, COMO Dempsey, 15 Dempsey Rd, S249675. Tel: 6474 7338. https://www.culina.com.sg/

Makes four 8cm tarts

INGREDIENTS

Tart Dough

100g butter

75g icing sugar

40g eggs

165g plain flour, sifted

40g ground almonds

400g Shine Muscat grapes, chilled, cut into half

Yuja cream

20g yuja jam

120g milk

25g sugar

30g egg yolks

10g corn starch

12g butter

Apricot glaze, to garnish (optional, can be bought at Phoon Huat)*

For the pastry

1. In a stand mixer, beat butter and icing sugar till smooth, at medium speed.

2. Add eggs and mix well.

3. At low speed, add flour and almond powder, mix briefly until a dough is formed. Wrap & chill dough for 1 hour.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 3mm-thick.

5. Use a 10cm round cutter to stamp out rounds of dough. Using fingers, neatly press each dough disc into a 8cm tart ring. Repeat with the other three pieces.

6. Fill tart shells with rice or beans to weigh them down. Bake tart shells at 165°C for 15 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove beans or rice if using. Allow to cool completely on a rack.

For the yuja cream​​​​​​​

1. Combine yuja jam and milk in a pot and bring mixture to a slow boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Remove pot from the heat the moment mixture boils (don’t let it cook, as the mixture will be used immediately after step 3).

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk sugar and egg yolks together till smooth, the stir in the corn starch till thoroughly incorporated.

3. Slowly pour the boiled yuja jam and milk into the egg yolk mixture, constantly whisking to combine.

4. Pour everything back into the pot and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat for 7 minutes, or until mixture thickens.

5. Add the butter and whisk.

6. Pour cream mixture onto a tray, wrap tightly with cling wrap so surface of cream is in contact with plastic (so a film doesn't form). Store in fridge until completely chilled.

7. Soften chilled cream by stirring it in a mixing bowl before using.

Assembly

Fill a piping bag with the softened yuja cream. Fill each baked tart shell with the cream, dividing the amount evenly between the four shells.

Using a sharp knife, carefully slice each grape into half and arrange on top of each tart in a concentric pattern.

Gently brush grapes with apricot glaze and chill 30 mins before serving.

Makes four 8cm tarts

INGREDIENTS

4 cooled tart shells (see above recipe)

about ¼ of a muskmelon

Apricot glaze, to garnish (optional, can be bought at Phoon Huat)*

Mascarpone cream

100g mascarpone cheese

30g icing sugar

200g whipping cream

1. In a chilled bowl of an electric mixer, whip mascarpone, sugar and cream over medium-high speed till it reaches medium-stiff peaks, almost like a softly whipped cream.

2. Fill piping bag with mascarpone cream and pipe into each tart shell, making sure each layer is even.

3. De-skin and slice muskmelon into 5mm-thick slices. Arrange fruit neatly on top of each tart.

4. Brush melon with apricot glaze and chill 30 mins before serving.

Too lazy to bake? Pop by Tarte by Cheryl Koh (Cheryl also works for three-Michelin-starred Les Amis restaurant) at Shaw House for a taste of her delicious bakes.