Poached Rhubarb Tart with Coarse Cornmeal Crust
Coarse Cornmeal Crust
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 coarse cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together flour, cornmeal and salt and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a electric mixer on medium speed. Add egg yolks, one at the, mixing between additions. Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix just until well combined. Transfer dough to a parchment and press into a flat rectangular shape. Wrap well and chill until needed - at least 3 hours or overnight.
Poached Rhubarb
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup elderflower cordial
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds rhubarb, stem ends trimmed
Heat oven to 300. Combine sugar, elderflower cordial and 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves. Transfer liquid to a shallow baking dish. Add rhubarb stalks and place in the oven. Poach rhubarb gently until very soft and tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rhubarb cool in poaching liquid. Use rhubarb for tart recipe or serve over ice cream or folded into whipped cream. Liquid can be siphoned off and used for cocktails or set with gelatin.
To make tart
Heat oven to 425. Remove cornmeal dough from refrigerator and let stand until dough just gives when pressed with fingers. Lightly flour a large piece of parchment and roll dough into a rectangle - about 4 inches longer than your longest stalk of rhubarb and wide enough to accommodate all rhubarb stalks when tightly squeezed together side by side - plus 4 inches extra. This is a weird measurement but rhubarb comes in all shapes and sizes so work with what you have. Work quickly as dough is temperamental. It may break a bit but don’t worry too much. Patch as needed. Brush away excess flour and transfer parchment and dough to a large baking sheet. Lift rhubarb from cooled poaching liquid and center stalks on dough - fitting them together as tightly as possible. Fold over edges of dough - neatly framing rhubarb on all sides. Brush pastry with a little poaching liquid and sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake another 15 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or creme fraiche.