Rhubarb tart
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- For the rhubarb:
- 800g rhubarb, cut into 4-5cm pieces
- 100g golden caster sugar
- ½ vanilla pod, split
- For the sweet pastry:
- 200g plain flour
- pinch salt
- 90g butter
- 70g caster sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- For the crème patisserie:
- 4 egg yolks
- 90g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 300ml whole milk
- seeds from 1 vanilla pod
- icing sugar
- 170ml double cream
Method
- For the rhubarb, arrange the rhubarb in a large frying pan with just enough water to cover it plus 50g of the sugar and the split vanilla pod. Simmer for 5 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, overnight if you can, in the syrup.
- For the pastry, sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, add the cold butter in small chunks and rub in with the tips of cool fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Mix in the sugar, separate the eggs and add the yolks, reserving the whites for later, and mix into the pastry to make a stiff dough. Roll out to about the thickness of a £1 coin and press into a prepared rectangular or 20-22cm round tart tin with a removable base. Trim the edges, prick the base with a fork and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5, remove the tart tin from the fridge, cover the pastry with a piece of non-stick baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Blind bake for 15 mins, then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 mins until cooked but still pale.
- Immediately brush the base with some of the reserved egg white to seal and set aside to cool.
- For the crème patisserie whisk the egg yolks, sugar and flours together until pale and thick, then add the milk. Pour into a small pan and bring to a boil then simmer steadily for 3-5 mins. Add the seeds from the vanilla pod and set aside to cool, sifting over a little icing sugar to stop a skin forming, then leave in the fridge covered with clingfilm until ready to fill the tart.
- For the glaze, carefully remove the rhubarb pieces from the syrup and set aside. Add the rest of the sugar (50g) to the syrup and boil in a small pan until thick and sticky. Set aside to cool.
- To assemble, when the crème patisserie and the flan case are both cool, whip the double cream to soft peaks and fold carefully into the chilled crème patisserie until fully combined. Spoon into the case, arrange the rhubarb on top in a pattern and brush over the glaze.
