Rhubarb & Custard Sweet Pastry Tart (chefs Special) Recipe

Make dough

In a food processor or large bowl, pulse 1.75 cups flour, 0.25 cups powdered sugar and 1/8 tsp fine sea salt to combine. Add 0.5 cup cold cubed unsalted butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Bind dough

Add 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water; pulse just until the dough begins to come together. If still dry, add up to 1 teaspoon more cold water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Do not overwork.

Chill

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Blind bake

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll chilled dough into a 12" circle and fit into a 9" (23cm) tart pan with removable bottom, trimming excess. Prick the base lightly with a fork. Line tart shell with parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and bake 6–8 minutes more until light golden. Let cool slightly.

Heat dairy

In a medium saucepan, heat 1.25 cups whole milk and 0.25 cup heavy cream with the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla) over medium heat until just below simmering (steam appears at edges), stirring occasionally.

Whisk egg mixture

While milk heats, whisk 3 egg yolks, 0.5 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a bowl until smooth and pale.

Temper

Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly to temper. Then pour tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.

Cook custard

Return to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, until mixture thickens to a pudding consistency and lightly coats the spatula (about 3–5 minutes). Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter until melted and smooth.

Strain and cool

Pass custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to ensure smoothness. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin forming and chill until just warm or room temperature (about 20–30 minutes) before filling shell.

Cook rhubarb

Combine 3 cups chopped rhubarb, 0.5 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and scraped vanilla pod (or 1 tsp extract) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce

Simmer until the rhubarb is soft but still holds some shape, and liquid is slightly reduced and glossy (8–12 minutes). Adjust sugar to taste if rhubarb is very tart. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Optional mash

For a slightly smoother texture, gently mash half the compote with a fork or use an immersion blender for 5–10 seconds; leave some chunks for texture.

Make coulis

Place 1 cup mixed berries, 2 tsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until berries release juices and soften (3–4 minutes).

Blend and strain

Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender and puree until smooth. Press the puree through a fine fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds and obtain a glossy coulis. Chill until ready to plate.

Fill tart

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) if you prefer to set custard further. Spoon a thin layer (about 1/3 cup) of rhubarb compote into the cooled tart shell to create a flavor base. Pour the strained custard into the shell until nearly full, leaving 1/8" headspace. Smooth surface with an offset spatula.

Set custard (optional)

For a firmer set, bake tart in preheated 325°F oven for 10–12 minutes just to slightly set edges; custard should still wobble in center. Remove and cool to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Finish and plate

When ready to serve, spoon remaining rhubarb compote attractively over the custard (either scattered chunks or a ribbon). Dust lightly with 1 tsp powdered sugar. Place 4 scoops of Warners rhubarb gin sorbet alongside or on top of tart slices. Drizzle fruit coulis on the plate and garnish with micro mint leaves.

Serve

Serve chilled: slice the tart with a hot knife (dip in hot water and wipe between cuts) to get clean slices. Each slice with a scoop of sorbet and a smear of coulis delivers the full Chef's Special experience.