This Stewed Rhubarb Tart with Vanilla Custard Filling is a great way to use rhubarb when in season. With its crunchy shortcrust pastry, sweet pastry cream filling and spiced rhubarb compote, this tart makes a beautiful dessert to serve at the end of a meal or bring to a party!
Cream the very soft Butter and Confectionner's Sugar in the bowl of your attachment until smooth. Mix in the Egg slowly, then the Almond Meal and Salt. Add the Plain Flour and slowly mix just until combined.
Transfer between two sheets of baking paper and roll into a large disk. Place on a flat tray and leave in the fridge to rest for at least 1 hour. Line your 25cm / 10 inch Tart Pan with the Pastry (you might need to let it come back to room temperature for a few minutes for easier handing) and prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork.
Place the tart pan in the freezer while preheating your oven on 160'C/325'F.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until fully baked, dry to the touch and golden. Set aside to cool down.
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Heat up the Milk and Vanilla in a small pot over low heat.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the Egg Yolks and Sugar. Add the Cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
Once the Milk starts to boil, remove from the heat and slowly pour over the Egg/Sugar/Cornstarch while whisking. Transfer back into the Pot and place back on the stove on low heat.
Whisk until the cream starts to thicken. When you see the first boil, keep whisking for an additional 30 seconds then pour into a small heat-proof bowl or shallow baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and place in the fridge too cool down completely (30 minutes to 1 hour)
Stewed Rhubarb
Prepare the Rhubarb: remove the leaves, wash the stalks and cut them into small sticks. Set aside.
Place the Water and Sugar in a medium size pot over and leave to heat up until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the Rhubarb Stalk, the Peels of the Lemon, the Juice of half the lemon, the Cinnamon Stick and Star Anise Pods.
Bring to a simmer then leave to cook for 5 to 10 minutes (1) or until the rhubarb becomes very soft and starts to break apart.
Use a slotted spoon (2) to remove the rhubarb from the liquid and transfer into a clean bowl or recipient. Discard the lemon peels, cinnamon stick and star anise pods. Use a fork or spoon to break the rhubarb until it turns into a compote (3). Set aside to cool down.
Assembling the Tart
When all the elements are cool, start assembling the tart: spread the Pastry Cream (4) over the baked tart crust using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Place the Rhubarb Compote over the custard and spread it with a spoon.
Place back in the fridge to set for about 30 minutes or until ready to be served.
For more information, tips and step by step instruction on the cream filling, read my Pastry Cream recipe.
For more information, tips and step by step instruction on the fruit topping, read my Stewed Rhubarb recipe.
(*) You might need a little bit less or more water depending on the size of your pot. The rhubarb needs to be fully covered by the water.
Depending on how fresh or ripe the rhubarb is, you might need to cook it for longer. Leave it to poach in the liquid until the rhubarb becomes very soft and the stalks start to break apart.
Using a slotted spoon allows to discard any cooking liquids
If the rhubarb seems to be too firm to break apart, it means it wasn't cooked for long enough.
You might need work the cream with a spatula or whisk to loosen it before spreading it over the pastry - it should be relatively firm when it comes out of the fridge.
Note that you could also pour the pastry cream into the baked and cool tart crust just after baking it and while still soft/liquid. But you will still need to leave it to set in the fridge for about an hour before adding the rhubarb.