While the clientele of the famed Illetes Beach café Juan y Andreas has changed since it opened in 1972, its character has remained the same. Once a humble beach bar where Andrea prepared meals from what her husband, Juan, caught at sea, the restaurant now offers a port for posh yachters. Despite this refinement, you will be seated on plastic beach chairs by a barefoot waiter and dine under billowing white umbrellas.
Chocolate Tart Recipe
Juan y Andrea’s most famous dessert proves that even the beautiful beachgoers of Ibiza love their chocolate.
Serves 8 to 10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes + 1 hour for cooling
Ingredients
Crust:
10 chocolate graham crackers, finely ground to yield 1 cup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup light brown sugar
Filling:
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
9 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the crust, grind graham crackers in a food processor until super fine. Mix with melted butter and sugar and press into the bottom of a 9-inch round fluted tart pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until firm. Allow to cook for 20 minutes.
Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat immediately. Add chopped chocolate and stir until melted. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla, and salt. Slowly add the chocolate mixture to the eggs, stirring constantly. The chocolate mixture is warm, and if added too quickly, it will scramble the eggs.
Pour filling into cooled crust and bake until filling is set, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack for about an hour.
