You love it or you hate it.
The smell alone summons emotional reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust. The edible flesh emits a distinctive odor that has been compared to rotten onions, turpentine, raw sewage, and gym socks. The fruit has even been banished from many hotels and from public transportation in some South East Asian countries.
This is Durian, “King of Fruits.”
I happen to love Durian and describe the flesh as rich and custard like while being intensely flavored with vanilla, garlic, and onion. Yes, it sounds weird, but somehow it works. The fruit is eaten by itself and also used to flavor a wide variety of both sweet and savory treats. I first tried these while in Kuala Lumpur and tried to recreate them with this recipe.
Durian Tart Recipe
Ingredients
200 grams 38% fat cream
120 grams sugar
4 whole eggs, lightly beaten
200 ml condensed milk
200 grams durian flesh
1/2 vanilla bean
1 recipe pate sucree
Method
Place half the cream, vanilla bean, and sugar in saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients and mix until incorporated. Strain through a chinois.
Preheat oven to 375 (190C), prepare small tart pans with pate sucree, then blind bake. Fill with shells with the durian mixture and bake until set, approximately 20 minutes.
Allow to cool at room temp and then chill overnight.
Chef Chris Colburn 