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1
Prepare the shortcrust. Rub 100 g cold butter into 200 g plain flour and a pinch of salt until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add cold water gradually and bring together into a cohesive dough; do not overwork. Wrap and rest in the refrigerator until needed. The dough is ready when it holds its shape without cracking at the edges.
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2
Confirm the chestnuts are roasted and fully peeled. Raw chestnuts will not caramelise correctly and may remain undercooked at the centre after baking. Set aside.
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3
Place a heavy, oven-safe cast-iron pan over medium heat. Melt 80 g butter, then add 120 g caster sugar. Cook, without stirring, to a blonde caramel — pale gold in colour, with a faint nutty aroma. Do not allow the colour to darken further: the chestnuts and honey will continue to caramelise in the oven, and a dark caramel at this stage will turn bitter after baking. This is where the dish lives or dies.
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4
Remove the pan from the heat briefly and add 40 g Miel de Corse AOP (châtaigneraie variety). Return to low heat and stir once to incorporate. The caramel will darken slightly and take on a mineral depth distinct from lighter honeys.
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5
Arrange the roasted chestnuts in a single, close layer across the caramel base. Work methodically — the chestnuts form the visible surface of the finished tart after inversion. The caramel should be visible between and around the chestnuts.
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6
Roll the rested shortcrust into a round approximately 2 cm larger in diameter than the pan. Lay it over the chestnuts and tuck the excess 2 cm of pastry down inside the pan edge — this tucked margin becomes the rim of the tart base after inversion. The pastry should cover the chestnuts completely with no gaps.
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7
Bake at 180 °C for 25 minutes. The pastry is done when the surface is golden and firm, and the caramel is audibly bubbling at the pan edge.
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8
Remove from the oven and allow to rest briefly — the tart must be warm, neither hot nor cold, before inversion. Too hot and the caramel will pour from the pan; too cold and the tart will adhere to the base. Place a serving plate firmly over the pan and invert in one decisive movement. Lift the pan. The surface should present a lacquered mahogany finish, chestnuts intact and caramelised throughout.
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9
Allow the tart to reach room temperature before serving. The caramel sets to a sticky consistency; liquid pooling on the plate indicates undercooked caramel or an excessive honey ratio. Serve with Brocciu AOP or Ovis aries yoghurt beaten with caster sugar, if desired.