Pastéis de Nata - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between pasteis de Belem and pastéis de nata? ›

The diference is that the pastéis de Belém are pastéis de nata produced by the local pastelaria de Belém supposed to be the place owning the original recipe.

How to Store Pasteis de Nata. While pasteis de nata are best enjoyed warm on the day they're made, they can be stored at room temperature for up to two days. Reheat them in a 350 degrees F oven for best results.

There, they will indulge in small glasses of Port, accompanied by scrumptious custard tarts known as Pasteis de Nata. It's such a simple treat, yet the pairing of the Port — any style will do — and the tart is a match made in culinary heaven. No visit to Lisbon is complete without it.

Instead of a short, crumbly pastry, the pastel de nata has a crisp, slightly salty, layered crust; and, rather than the firm, egg-rich fillings of the classic British or French custard tart, the filling is almost molten, and spiced with cinnamon and lemon zest, as opposed to our peppery nutmeg or sweet vanilla.

They can be enjoyed warm or cold. If you've made a batch but don't want to eat them all they will freeze well. Just place a few in a tupperware box and freeze for up to 3 months. You probably won't need to though as they will all disappear pretty sharpish!

The tarts at best served fresh out of the oven. However, as I've learned from carrying these tarts home in my carry on from Lisbon, these freeze perfectly and if you just reheat them in the oven, they taste like they were freshly baked.

Allie & Sara's Kitchen Portuguese Custard Tarts, 12 x 60 g | Costco.

What is it about these little puddles of burnt but wobbly custard, flavoured with lemon and cinnamon and cupped in a crispy pastry shell, that makes them so exceptional? To the Michelin star-winning Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes, chef-patron of Lisboeta in central London: “Honestly, they're just gorgeous.”

Now, locals eat pastéis de nata at breakfast, in the midmorning, after lunch, or in the evening — any time they're craving a snack. The tart's ingredients are very simple: a puff pastry filled with a custard made of cream, egg yolks, sugar, flour, and lemon zest.

Once defrosted and baked, the natas need to be consumed within 48 hours.

Do Portuguese people eat pastel de nata? ›

In 2011, following the result of a public vote, the pastry was announced as one of Portugal's Seven Wonders of Gastronomy, further cementing it as one of the country's most popular national dishes.

Where a crème brûlée custard recipe calls for two egg yolks per 3/4 cup of cream, the pastel de nata recipe calls for six egg yolks per cup of milk. The Portuguese tarts rely more on egg yolks to impart richness, whereas a standard custard relies more heavily on milk or cream.

As a fresh product at ambient temperature it should be consumed within 24 hours. As a frozen product it has 12 months shelf life. Storage conditions are in a closed package in the freezer at -18C. Once defrosted, the Pastel de Nata should be prepared and consumed within the next 24 hours.

The history of the Pastel de Nata

The monks of the monastery soon created a secret recipe to perfect their custard tarts, which they began selling as a means of creating income to support the monastery.

Another distinct difference between Portuguese egg tarts and other egg tarts like English egg tarts or Chinese egg tarts is that the Portuguese tart uses only egg yolks and also includes a light puff pastry, whereas the English tart and Chinese egg tart uses whole eggs and a denser pie crust-like dough for the outside.

Pastéis de Belém claims to be the inventor of the egg tart, known generally in Portugal as pastel de nata, “cream pastry,” but here as pastel de Belém.

The bakery has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5, and it's possible that it only falls short of 5 stars because of the queues travellers often have to experience in order to get inside. However, I visited the bakery back in 2014 and can confirm the pastries (and the coffee) are delicious — and well worth the wait.

The Pastel de Belem is the original Pastel de Nata, using the original monk recipe. Founded in 1837, Pasteis de Belem welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, a short walk from the Jeronimos Monastery, selling over 20,000 tarts daily.