Rhubarb Tart

My uncle Joe came up trumps once again this year with a big stash of Rhubarb. We had a little rhubarb cook-off between myself, my Dad and Aishling. Dad made stewed rhubarb and Aishling went with the classic crumble. My contribution was a Rhubarb Tart.

I don't know about you fine folks but I always have issues getting the correct sweetness to cut through the rhubarbs sourness, so I do mine a little differently!

 

Recipe for Rhubarb Tart

 

Makes 1  9" pie

Ingredients

• 400g shortcrust pastry
• 500g chopped rhubarb
• 250g caster sugar (approx)
• 6 tbsps plain flour
• good knob butter

 

Instructions

1. Make (or buy!) the shortcrust Pastry and leave chill in the fridge for 30mins. Preheat oven to 180°C. When chilled, Roll out 2/3 of your pastry and line your greased tin. Place some greaseproof paper over your pastry and fill with baking beans or dried pulses (I have used lentils before and they worked a treat). In to the oven and bake "blind" for 15 mins and leave on cooling rack.
2. While the pastry is baking, put your rhubarb and 1 or 2 tablespoons of water into a large pot and add 1/2 of your caster sugar. You want your rhubarb to stew ever so slightly but not break down completely. I like to do this so you can control the sweetness/sourness ratio. Add more or less sugar according to taste.
3. Combine remaining sugar and flour. Sprinkle 1/2 the mixture onto pie base. Heap rhubarb over the mixture and sprinkle with remaining half. Dot small knobs of butter randomly throughout. Cover the top with remaining pastry and pinch the sides with a fork to seal. Cut some holes or prick with a fork to leave steam escape. Brush with beaten egg for that "shiny look".
4. Reduce oven to 160°C and bake for 20-25mins.

We ate this warm right out of the oven with some vanilla ice-cream. Its not the usual way to make a rhubarb tart but it works. The addition of the flour and butter makes the filling so much nicer. It absorbs all that rhubarby sweet syrup and with the crunch of the pastry crust ,it really is rhubarb heaven!

Hope everyone has a good week!

Shirley x