Serves 8
sweet shortcrust pastry 375g
full-fat milk 400ml
egg yolks 6
soft brown sugar 50g (try Tate & Lyle available at gourmet stores)
cornflour 40g
vanilla extract 1 tsp
coconut cream 3 tbsp (try Real Thai available at gourmet stores)
bananas 4 ripe
double cream 300ml, chilled (available at your local dairy)
coconut shavings to finish
demerara sugar to finish (optional) (try Bluebird available at gourmet stores)
Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a 25cm x 3cm deep pie dish with the pastry, cover with greaseproof paper, weigh down with baking beans and bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and beans then cook for another 10 minutes, or until the pastry is just dry.
Bring the milk to a simmer. Whisk the eggs, sugar and cornflour together. Whisk in a little milk to temper the eggs and then whisk in the remainder. Pour back into the cleaned milk pan and cook, stirring over a low heat, until the custard thickens, about 20 minutes. Add the vanilla and then whisk in the coconut off the heat. Pour into a bowl, cover with cling-film and chill until very cold.
Slice the bananas. Put the pie crust on a plate and add a layer of banana followed by some of the coconut pastry cream. Continue layering, piling it up in the centre if you need to. To whip the cream, empty the cream into a bowl. Place this bowl on top of a bed of ice, making sure the cream remains chilled and start whipping until you get soft peaks. Pile this on top. Toast the coconut in a dry pan until it browns around the edges and sprinkle it over the pie with the demerara sugar.