Rhabarber-Erdbeer-Tarte (rhubarb and strawberry tart)

Method

1. Rub the cold butter into the flour, sugar and salt until it looks like coarse crumbs, then work in the egg yolk and water just until a dough forms. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
2. Roll out the dough and line a 24 cm tart tin. Prick the base, line with baking paper and baking beans, and blind bake at 200°C for 12 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and bake 5 to 8 more minutes, until pale gold. Cool completely.
3. Combine the rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice in a pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 10 minutes, until broken down to a thick, spreadable jam with no watery liquid. Cool completely.
4. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch into a little of the cold milk until smooth. Heat the rest of the milk until steaming, then whisk it in. Return to the pan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens to a stiff pastry cream, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Press cling film onto the surface and chill for at least 1 hour.
5. Spread the cooled rhubarb compote evenly over the tart shell, then spread the chilled pastry cream over the compote.
6. Arrange the strawberries over the top in a close, even pattern and brush with the warmed jelly to glaze.

Method in the Thermomix

Written for a TM5 or TM6, 2.2 litre bowl. This covers the compote and pastry cream; the shell and finishing are the same as the hand method.

1. Rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice into the bowl. Cook 10 min / 100 °C / reverse / speed 1, measuring cup off, until thickened. Pour out and cool completely.
2. Wash the bowl. Milk, egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in. Cook 6 min / 90 °C / speed 3, until thickened to a stiff pastry cream. Stir in the vanilla, press cling film onto the surface, and chill.

Notes

• The rhubarb layer stays under the pastry cream on purpose. Kept as a hidden layer rather than mixed through, it balances the sweetness of the strawberries on top instead of turning the whole tart into one uniformly sweet-sour flavour.
• Both the compote and the pastry cream must be fully cooled before assembly. Spread warm, either one softens the shell and the layers blur into each other instead of staying distinct.
• Do not assemble more than a few hours ahead, for the same reason as any fresh fruit tart; the base softens the longer it sits filled.
• It keeps for 1 day in the fridge, loosely covered, though it is best within a few hours of assembly.

Ingredient substitutions

• Red currant jelly can be apricot jam, warmed and sieved, for a slightly sweeter glaze.
• Strawberries can be raspberries for a sharper top layer that leans further into the tart side of the balance.
• For a version with less prep, use a good shop-bought pastry cream and only make the rhubarb compote from scratch.
• A few torn mint leaves scattered over just before serving is a fresh, simple addition.