A delicious seasonal recipe for you to try this week.
Spring has finally sprung and lots of our favourite ingredients are available once again. Rhubarb, which is usually available from March onwards, is now in shops everywhere and what better way to celebrate this delicious seasonal ingredient than with a tart? Check out Eunice Power's delicious rhubarb and vanilla cream tart recipe below - it's delicious.
Rhubarb and vanilla cream tart
Serves 6
"This twist on the classic rhubarb and custard makes the most of the first of the rhubarb in March. I make this delicious tart in an oblong tin where the rhubarb fits in uniform lines. The tin size is 11cm wide x 35cm long. You can have all the elements ready but really this tart needs to be assembled about 30 minutes before serving." - Eunice Power
Ingredients
For the pastry
100g butter, cold and cubed
40g icing sugar
2 egg yolks, as cold as possible
160g plain flour
For the vanilla cream
½ vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out
375ml milk
3 egg yolks
45g plain flour
100g caster sugar
For the rhubarb
8 stems rhubarb
½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
155g caster sugar
80ml water
Method
- For the pastry base, put butter, icing sugar, and egg yolks in a bowl or food processor and work together quickly. Blend in flour to form a paste. Wrap paste in clingfilm and chill for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4. Roll out pastry thinly and line the tart tin. Line the pastry with baking paper and fill with rice. Blind-bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a pale biscuit colour. Remove from oven.
- For the vanilla cream, put the vanilla seeds and milk into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 15 minutes.
- Mix the egg yolks, flour and sugar and add to the vanilla milk. Put the saucepan back over a gentle heat and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Cover with clingfilm and allow to cool.
- For the rhubarb, set the oven to 150ºC/gas mark 2. Cut the rhubarb into 10cm lengths. Place in a roasting tin. Mix the vanilla seeds with sugar and sprinkle over the rhubarb, add the water and roast in the oven until the rhubarb is tender – about 20 minutes. Transfer the juices to a small saucepan and reduce by half.
- To assemble, spoon the vanilla cream into the pastry case, top with the rhubarb and drizzle with pan juices from the rhubarb.
TIP: Don’t overcook the rhubarb. You want it to cool down in the syrup and become nice and thick.
Recipe by Eunice Power
