Summer berries and Autumn fruits: rhubarb and almond tart recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients
*400g slim-stemmed forced rhubarb
*200g caster sugar
*1–2 teaspoons rosewater
*1/2 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways, or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
*plain flour, for dusting
*375g store-bought all-butter
*puff pastry
*2 tablespoons milk
*1 medium egg yolk, lightly beaten
*1 rounded tablespoon flaked almonds
For the frangipane
*75g ground almonds
*50g unsalted butter, softened
*50g caster sugar
*1 medium egg
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
*a pinch of salt
Method
1. Rinse the rhubarb under cold running water and trim the ends. Cut each stem into lengths of about 5cm.
2. Tip the sugar, rosewater and vanilla into a sauté pan and add 200ml cold water.
3. Bring slowly to the boil to dissolve the sugar and then remove from the heat. Add the rhubarb, cover and leave to soften in the hot syrup.
4. Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll out the pastry into a rough oval or round shape – I don’t think you need worry too much about neatness for this tart so long as the pastry is about 2–3mm thick and the shape about 35 x 25cm. Use a large knife to trim and neaten the edges.
5. Carefully slide the pastry onto a large parchment-lined baking tray, brush the milk around the edge of the pastry and crimp and fold over to create a border. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6 and make the frangipane. Tip all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat well until smooth.
7. Spread the frangipane over the pastry, leaving a 1–2cm border all the way round as it will spread slightly during cooking. Drain the cooled rhubarb from the syrup and scatter all over the frangipane. Brush the edges of the pastry with the beaten egg yolk and scatter the tart with the flaked almonds.
8. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 10 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 180ºC/gas mark 4 and cook for a further 20–25 minutes until the frangipane is golden, the pastry crisp and the rhubarb tender.
9. Best served warm, with a light dusting of icing sugar, on the day of making.
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Taken from Summer Berries & Autumn Fruits by Annie Rigg, published by Kyle Books, photography by Tara Fisher