Rhubarb and almond tart

Russell Brown

Russell Brown

23rd March 2018
Russell Brown

Rhubarb and almond tart

Yorkshire forced rhubarb is the first splash of colour to arrive in the kitchen in the new year and, as such, really is a joy. For me, this is one of my absolute seasonal highs, up there with the first new potatoes, British asparagus and the first partridge of the year.

serves 8-10

Ingredients

  • For the frangipane
  • 150g unsalted butter
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 2ó large free-range eggs, beaten (150g)
  • 50g self-raising flour
  • 150g ground almonds
  • 1 tsp Maldon sea salt, finely ground
  • bitter almond extract
  • For the rhubarb
  • 200g Yorkshire forced rhubarb
  • 25g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp ginger wine
  • For the tart case
  • . quantity of sweet pastry (see Basics
  • pp. 288–9)
  • 1 large free-range egg yolk, beaten with an
  • equal quantity of water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160˚C.
2. To make the frangipane, cream the butter
and sugar in a mixer. Gradually add the egg
interspersed with the flour, then add the ground
almonds and salt. Flavour with a few drops of
good-quality bitter almond extract.
3. For the rhubarb, cut the rhubarb into 2cm
lengths and place on a baking tray, sprinkling
with the sugar and ginger wine. Roast for 2
minutes, until the rhubarb just starts to soften.
Drain off any juice from the tray and then chill
the rhubarb.
4. Roll out the pastry to line a 26cm flan ring or
small flan tins. Use an offcut of pastry to push to
the pastry well into the corners. Trim the edges,
chill for 20 minutes and then blind-bake until
just set, approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove
the baking beans and cook until a light golden
brown, approximately 4-6 minutes.
5. Brush the pastry case with a yolk-and-water
egg wash and return to the oven for 1 minute.
Repeat.
6. To assemble, fill a piping bag fitted with a 1cm
plain nozzle with the frangipane and, starting
in the centre, pipe a thick spiral of frangipane
to fill the tart. Push the rhubarb pieces into the
frangipane, starting at the centre and working
outwards. Leave ócm gap between the pieces
and finish 1cm in from the edge of the pastry
case.
7. Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and
firm. Allow to cool but do not refrigerate.

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