Rhubarb and Custard Tart
Celebrate the best of British rhubarb with this vibrant and tasty rhubarb and custard tart.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the pastry
165g wholemeal flour
100g unsalted butter
50g icing sugar
15g ground hazelnuts
1 egg, beaten
1-2 tbsp water
For the custard
200g double cream
200g clotted cream
1 vanilla pod
120g egg yolks
60g caster sugar
For the rhubarb
6-8 stems of rhubarb, sliced into batons
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 star anise, crushed slightly
For the rhubarb jelly
1 rhubarb stem
75ml water
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp agar agar
Method
- Start by making your pastry by combining the flour and butter in a bowl and rubbing together with your fingertips to make a breadcrumb texture. Then mix in the icing sugar and egg and mix till it forms a dough. If it’s too dry, add a little water. Shape into a ball and wrap in clingfilm. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Roll out your pastry into a 23cm tart tin and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 180˚C fan and arrange your batons of rhubarb on a baking tray sprinkled with star anise and sugar. Leave to macerate for 15 mins while the oven heats up and then cook for 10 minutes to soften. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to 160˚C and line your tart case with a sheet of baking parchment weighted down by baking beans. Bake the pastry case for 20 minutes then remove the baking beans and bake for a further 10 minutes. Trim off the edges with a fine grater.
- Make your custard by heating your cream, vanilla and sugar on a medium heat until it is nearly at boiling point. Strain your infused sweetened cream and set aside to cool slightly.
- Whisk your egg yolks in a separate bowl. Gradually pour a little warm cream at a time in with the eggs while beating. Slowly incorporate all the infused cream and whisk into a smooth mixture. Return the custard to the pan and gently warm through while stirring to thicken.
- Allow to cool and pour into your pastry case. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 180˚C until the custard sets but still has a slight wobble.
- In a small saucepan, cook your remaining chopped rhubarb, sugar and water for a jelly. Simmer for 4-5 minutes and then strain the pink syrup with a sieve. Add the agar agar and whisk until dissolved.
- Top the custard tart with a neat chevron arrangement of rhubarb batons and finally pour over your jelly. Leave for 5-10 minutes to set and serve a slice with generous dollop of clotted cream.