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1
Confirm the baked pâte sucrée shell is completely cold before proceeding. Any residual warmth will loosen the crème pâtissière on contact. The shell should feel cool and dry to the touch at the base.
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2
Spoon the refrigerated crème pâtissière into the cold shell and spread it in an even layer to within 5 mm of the pastry rim. It should hold its form without slumping — if it flows, return it briefly to the refrigerator until it firms to a spreadable consistency.
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3
Arrange the hulled, room-temperature strawberries over the crème pâtissière. Cold strawberries suppress the volatile esters that carry the fruit's aromatic identity; this is where the dish lives or dies — strawberries chilled directly before service will not recover their fragrance at the table.
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4
Heat the strained apricot jam with the water in a small saucepan, stirring until fully liquefied and smooth. The glaze is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and falls in a slow, even sheet.
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5
Apply the warm glaze to the strawberries immediately before service using a pastry brush, working from the centre outward. Each berry should carry a thin, even, glossy coat. The glaze slows oxidation and preserves the fruit's appearance. The tart must reach the table within 2 hours of assembly; beyond this point the pastry begins to absorb moisture from the crème pâtissière and softens irreversibly.