Butternut Squash and Dark Chocolate Shortcrust Tart

Preheat oven to 200C. Toss butternut-squash cubes with 1 tbsp sunflower-oil, 1 pinch salt. Spread on a parchment-lined tray in a single layer.

Roast 25-28 minutes, until deeply caramelized at the edges and a knife slides through effortlessly. Cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 170C.

Press shortcrust-pastry evenly into a buttered 24cm tart tin, working from the center outward. Chill 15 minutes in the freezer to firm the fat.

Prick the base 15-20 times with a fork. Line with crumpled parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake at 170C for 12 minutes. Remove weights and parchment, brush the shell with egg wash, and bake 5 minutes more until the base looks set and pale golden. Cool on a rack to 20C.

Blend roasted butternut-squash, 3 eggs, honey, cinnamon, and 1 pinch salt in a blender until silky smooth, about 90 seconds.

Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a jug, pressing with a spatula to remove any fibrous bits.

Set the cooled tart shell on the center oven rack. Pour squash custard in a single smooth motion until 3mm from the rim.

Bake at 170C for 22-25 minutes. The filling should tremble like set gelatin when the tin is nudged — a thermometer reads 82C at the center. If it ripples like liquid, bake 3-4 minutes more.

Cool at room temperature 20 minutes, then refrigerate 30 minutes until the custard is fully firm and pulling slightly from the tin edges.

Combine dark-chocolate, heavy-cream, and 1 pinch salt in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir with a spatula in slow circles until 70% melted.

Remove from heat. Add cold butter cubes one at a time, stirring gently after each until incorporated. Continue stirring until glossy and fluid, about 72C on a probe thermometer.

Pour glaze over the chilled tart in one pour from the center. Let it flow naturally to the edges — do not spread. Cool at room temperature 10 minutes, then refrigerate 20 minutes to set the glaze to a firm, shatter-resistant finish.