People either love or hate rhubarb!Our family falls into the love rhubarb category, and the minions anxiously await the first harvest of this tart vegetable (not a fruit at all, being a stalk!)
We consumed our first rhubarb pie Sunday night. My rhubarb patch went from barely a leaf to harvestable in something like 3 weeks -- I need to download pictures from the camera for proof -- but it just amazes me every year how quickly spring progresses here in Alaska!
On to the recipe, which is from Paula Peck's The Art of Fine Baking, which has a strong European influence.
Rhubarb Tart
rich tart pastry (recipe below)
1 egg beaten w/ 1 T milk for eggwash
2 T cinnamon sugar
1 c ground walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans
3 T flour
1 c sugar
3-4 c diced rhubarb
1/2 c glaze (currant or other jam, thinned with cognac or other liquor or water)-optional.
Line 9 inch pie shell with pastry, saving trimmings for lattice crust. Chill or freeze for 1 hr.
Prepare rhubarb filling: mix with flour and sugar.
Prepare lattice crust: roll out and cut into strips, brush w/ eggwash and sprinkle w/ cinnamon sugar.
Assembly: press ground nuts into bottom of pastry shell, fill with rhubarb mix, then make lattice crust on top.
Place tart on lowest rack of preheated oven (350F) and bake 1 hr and 15 minutes (use a crust protector ring if you have it). If necessary, raise tart to higher level (removing crust protector) during last 15 minutes for browning.
While tart is still hot, brush currant glace over rhubarb filling where it shows thru lattice.
Rich Pastry Tart
2 c sifted flour
3 T sugar
3/4 c butter
1/2 t salt
2 t grated lemon rind
3 hard-boiled egg yolks, mashed
2 raw egg yolks
this is the original recipe given, but I increased it as follows to use with bigger pieshell and have plenty for the lattice:
3 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1 c butter
salt
3 hard-boiled egg yolks
1 egg + cold water, as needed
Instead of mixing it all by hand as instructed, I use my Cuisinard, processing butter and hard egg yolks until crumbly before adding liquids.
Then I roll it out between 2 sheets of wax paper and refrigerate until needed. OK to make several days ahead (wrap tightly to prevent drying out). This tart pastry can also be pre-baked for custard pies, etc.
I love this too, but haven't gotten a hold of it this year. Last year I made pies for clients at my cafe, and could not keep employees out of it either!
ReplyDeleteYours is gorgeous with the braided topper!
Ah! Yours looks better than mine, more tarty and less cheap diner.
ReplyDeleteThis crust is more work that the typical pastry crust (or at least need to think ahead to boil eggs) -- so when I'm in a time crunch, I just make Rhubarb crumble -- quick and easy, and the family is just as happy (as long as there's vanilla icecream to go over it...)
ReplyDeleteThis is my favourite tart ... I usually make the pastry first, then go and pick the rhubarb. In a pinch, I will use frozen rhubarb. My tip for the lattice top: using a plastic cutting sheet, make your lattice top, weaving up/down/over, etc. then place it in the freezer along with the pastry lined tart tin. Then, once you have the filling assembled in the tart tin, slide the frozen lattice on top of the filling, trim the edges, and then it is ready to brush with the egg wash, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and place in the oven. I also have the 'cheater' lattice top gadget, but I like the rhubarb tart to have the real thing.
ReplyDelete