Pink Rhubarb is slightly sweeter and more tender than the green (the more tart and robust version you’ll find in your garden come the summer), so enjoy this seasonal version while it's still around.
The combination of sweet/tart Pink Rhubarb pairs perfectly with the marshmallow sweetness of the white torched toasty Meringue, sitting inside a crisp pastry shell. This is certainly one to impress on the dinner table!
- Baker: Matt Othold
- Socials: @Mattaroons on TikTok & Instagram
- Makes: 9” Pie Dish
- Prep time: 1hr 30mins
- Bake time: 1hr 30mins
- Total time: 3hrs
- Flours Used: Regenerative All Purpose or Plain Cotswold Flour
Rhubarb Meringue Pie Method:
- Start by blitzing the flour and cold cubes of butter in a blender until you get fine breadcrumbs (if you don't own a blender, the old rubbing in method is fine).
- Pour this into a bowl, add 1 tsp of salt and 65 g of caster sugar and mix with your hand just to incorporate
Add in the cold beaten egg yolk and ice cold water and bring together with back of a knife till chunky lumps are formed (we do this so we don't over work the dough in this early stage with our hands). - Then bring the chunky lumps together in your hands, with a gentle kneading, until a dough is formed. Shape into a flat round disk, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for 30 mins.
- While the dough is resting, get on with making your filling. Cut up your Rhubarb into smaller chunks (2-3cm)
Add these into a pan with 100 g caster sugar and 2 tbsp of water. Cook this on a high heat, stirring for around 10 mins, till the Rhubarb starts to break down into a lovely pink sauce. Pour this into a bowl to cool down. - Dust your work surface with some flour and roll out your chilled dough so it fits nicely in a 9"/23cm tart tin. Place carefully in your tart tin, trimming away any overhang. Prick the base of the tart to help release steam. Place back in the fridge for 30 mins.
- Once chilled, cover with parchment paper, fill with baking beans/rice to weigh it down, and bake in a preheated 170 degree C fan oven for 20 mins. Then remove from oven, remove parchment and beans, place back into the oven for further 8-10 mins till golden and fully cooked through. Then leave to cool down on a wire rack.
- Back to the Rhubarb filling: add 3 medium egg yolks, 2.5 tbsp cornflour (that's been mixed with a tablespoon of water to make a slurry) to the cooled down Rhubarb and mix well until incorporated.
- Pour this into a pan, add in your cubes of butter, and heat on a medium heat until the butter is melted and it's all thickened up into a perfect curd.
- Pour this into your tart case, smoothing it out evenly to all spaces, leave to cool and set in the fridge while you make the topping.
- To make the Italian meringue topping: add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a bowl and whisk with machine/hand whisk for a couple of mins only to the soft peak stage then turn of the machine.
- In a pan add your caster sugar and water and heat to a temp of 120 degrees C using a baking or sugar thermometer. Slowly and very carefully, as this will be extremely hot and can burn you, pour the sugar syrup slowly and gradually down the side of the bowl while the machine is on a slow speed whisking this in. Once it's all poured in, increase the speed and leave for approximately 5 mins to finish creating the silky marshmallow Italian meringue.
- Using a piping bag or free hand, pipe or spoon the meringue on top of the cooled Rhubarb tart. Using a chefs blow torch (or under the grill) carefully and slowly torch the top to a toasty finish. You can store in the fridge and cut up when ready to serve. Enjoy!
