French Rhubarb Pie Food

FRENCH RHUBARB TART

Steps:

• Cut the rhubarb into 10.5cm batons, using pieces that are roughly the same width. Put the vanilla pod, sugar, lemon juice and 300ml water (or enough to just cover the rhubarb) in a wide frying pan or shallow casserole set over a low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the rhubarb and simmer for 5 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the syrup, preferably overnight, or for at least 1 hr. This way your rhubarb should be perfectly cooked, but still hold its shape.
• To make the pastry, put the flour, almonds, sugar and butter in a food processor. Blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. While the motor is running, add the egg yolk and dribble in 1-2 tbsp cold water. Tip onto a work surface and knead briefly to bring the mixture together to form a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• While your pastry chills, make the crème patisserie. Heat the milk and reserved vanilla seeds in a pan set over a medium heat until nearly boiling. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and flours together in a large bowl until pale. Continue whisking while you pour the hot milk over the egg mixture. Wipe out the saucepan and strain the liquid back into the pan through a sieve. Set over a medium-low heat and stir continuously until the mixture has a thick custard consistency. Scrape into a clean bowl, cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin from forming and chill for at least 1 hr or up to 2 days.
• Remove the pastry from the fridge. If it is a little hard, leave it at room temperature to soften for 10 mins or so. Roll out to 1mm thick on a lightly floured surface. Use the pastry to line a 12 x 35cm fluted rectangular tart tin, making sure you press the pastry into the fluted edges (you can use the blunt end of a knife to help you do this). Leave any excess pastry overhanging. Chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the pastry case from the fridge, line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind-bake for 20 mins, then remove the parchment and beans, and continue baking for 8 mins more until pale golden and biscuity. Use a sharp serrated knife to trim off the overhanging pastry to give you a clean edge. Cool in the tin.
• Remove the rhubarb pieces from their syrup and set aside. Return the syrup to the hob and boil until thick and sticky. Leave to cool slightly. To finish the crème patisserie, whisk the cream until it holds soft peaks and fold this into the chilled mixture. This is easier if you start by beating in a little cream and then folding in the remaining.
• Remove the pastry case from the tin and put on a plate. Fill with the crème patisserie and smooth over the surface. Carefully line up the rhubarb down the length of the tart case, trying to fit them in quite snugly. Use a pastry brush to glaze the tart with the rhubarb syrup. Chill for 30 mins before serving. This tart will keep for 3 days in the fridge, however it is best eaten on the day it is made.

FRESH RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Combine sugar and flour. Sprinkle 1/4 of it over pastry in pie plate. Heap rhubarb over this mixture. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and flour. Dot with small pieces of butter. Cover with top crust.
• Place pie on lowest rack in oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

FRENCH RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• Mix together egg, sugar, flour, cream, butter, and vanilla.
• Fold in diced rhubarb.
• Pour into 9-inch pie shell.
• Crumbs: Mix together brown sugar, flour, and butter and spread on top of pie.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees 25 minutes or until done.

PERFECT RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• Place rhubarb in a colander; pour boiling water over rhubarb and allow to drain. In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour and tapioca. Add drained rhubarb; toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk egg and cold water; stir into rhubarb mixture., Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim even with rim. Add filling; dot with butter. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top. Bake 15 minutes., Reduce oven setting to 350°. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 40-50 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

STRAIGHT-UP RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Make the crust: before measuring the flour, stir it to leaven with air and then measure out 2 cups. Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Cut the shortening into the flour with a fork or pastry blender. Stop as soon as the sheen of the butter disappears and the mixture is a bunch of coarse pieces. Sprinkle a tablespoon of water at a time over the dough, lifting and tossing it with the fork. When it begins to come together, gather the dough, press it into a ball and then pull it apart; if it crumbles in your hands, it needs more water. (It's better to err on the side of too wet than too dry.) Add a teaspoon or two more water, as needed.
• Gather the dough into two slightly unequal balls, the larger one for the bottom crust and the smaller one for the top. Flatten the larger ball, reforming any frayed edges with the sides of your hand. Dust with flour and roll the dough, starting from the center and moving toward the edges. Take a knife or thin spatula and quickly work its edge between the crust and the counter top. Lift the dough to the side; dust the dough and counter top with flour. Roll again until the diameter is an inch or 2 larger than that of the pie pan. Lay the rolling pin a third of the way from one of the edges. Roll the crust onto the pin and then unroll the crust into a 9-inch pie pan and press it into place. Place in the freezer.
• Make the filling: in a large bowl, blend the rhubarb, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Pour into the crust-lined pie pan. Dot with butter.
• Roll out the top crust. Dab the rim of the bottom crust with water to create a glue. Then place the top crust over the rhubarb; trim, seal and cut several vents. Bake for 15 minutes; reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until a bit of pink juice bubbles from the vents in the crust.

FRENCH RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• 1. Mix the first five (5) ingredients together. Pour into an unbaked pie shell. (I use pre-made shells).
• 2. Mix together the topping mix--flour, butter, brown sugar. Will be crumbly. Put the topping mix over the mixture in pie shell.
• 3. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Then 350 for 30 minutes or until done.

RHUBARB STREUSEL PIE

Steps:

• Roll out the pastry and use to line a deep 23cm/9in flan tin. Chop the rhubarb into 3cm/1in lengths and tip into a large bowl with the flour and sugar. Mix well, then tip into the pastry case, spreading the rhubarb to level it.
• To make the topping, mix together the flour, cinnamon, sugar and nuts. Add the butter, cut into small pieces, and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the rhubarb. Set aside until ready to bake, up to 6 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5/fan oven 170C. Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes until the topping is crisp and golden and the rhubarb is tender - test by spearing a piece of fruit through the topping with a knife. Serve warm or cold with single cream or vanilla ice cream.