RHUBARB MERINGUE TART WITH ALMONDS

When I was younger, a cluster of rhubarb grew in our garden in Sweden. The stalks were firm, with flushes of pink, and I was always fascinated by this plant with its huge lily-pad-like leaves and edible stems. We baked it, doused in sugar, in simple pie crusts to eat with vanilla whipped cream. This recipe takes things a little further, with almonds for crunch and a wholemeal crust for extra nuttiness.

Serves: 8 Preparation time: 40 minutes plus chilling Cooking time: 1 hour 5 minutes

For the pastry:

200g wholemeal flour

1 tbsp caster sugar

100g cold butter, cubed

For the filling:

1.5kg rhubarb, cut into 5cm lengths

120g caster sugar

Zest of 1 orange

3 tbsp ground almonds

For the meringue:

50g blanched almonds

3 medium egg whites

175g caster sugar

3 tbsp flaked almonds

1 Place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and blitz to a crumb-like texture. Gradually add three tablespoons of ice-cold water, pulsing between each addition until the mixture comes together into a dough. Shape into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate.

2 Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Tip the rhubarb into a roasting tray, sprinkle with the sugar and orange zest and bake for 15 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft when pierced but still holding together. Remove from the tray and place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain. Leave to cool completely.

3 Roll out the pastry dough to

5mm thick and use it to line a 22cm loose-bottomed pastry tin. Prick the base all over and return to the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

4 Increase the oven temperature to 180°C/gas mark 4. Scatter the blanched almonds for the meringue in a roasting tray and toast for 10 minutes until golden, tossing halfway through. Tip on to a board and finely chop. Spread out to cool quickly.

5 Line the pastry with a circle of crumpled baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice. Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove the beans. Bake for five minutes more to dry out.

6 Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until you have a glossy meringue, then carefully fold through the chopped almonds. Sprinkle the tart case with the ground almonds, then add the rhubarb, piling it up to form an even layer. Spoon the meringue all over the rhubarb, then bake the tart for 30 minutes, sprinkling over the flaked almonds for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Cool before serving.