Sweet & tart
IN THE BALTICS, two worlds meet: the Baltic Sea joins Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, bringing with it culinary influences and cultural exchange. All three Baltic capitals, Vilnius, Tallinn and Riga, are Unesco World Heritage Sites, steeped in history and culture.
Amber & Rye explores this exciting part of Eastern Europe, guiding you around the capitals, sharing stories and discovering a dynamic, new style of cooking. Contextualised within the Baltics’ rich history and culture, the food is a doorway to a deeper understanding of the region and what makes it tick.
The recipes explore new culinary horizons, are grounded in Baltic tradition, yet inspired by contemporary trends, making them modern, unique and easy to recreate at home.
And in addition to the recipes and travel stores, there are snippets of poetry, literature, songs and proverbs, adding a rich layer that makes Amber & Rye a cultural reference point for travellers as well as a showcase for the vibrant new cuisine of the Baltic states .
The following is a recipe from this gorgeous book:
RHUBARB & ROSE MERINGUE TART
Ingredients
120g (1 cup) walnuts or 120g (3⁄4 cup) almonds
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
200g rose jam
400g rhubarb, rinsed and cut into 2.5 cm lengths
1 tsp rosewater
Rose petals, to serve — optional
For the pastry:
150g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp baking powder
150g (11⁄2 cups) ground almonds 150g coconut oil, melted
30g caster (superfine) sugar
Pinch of salt
3 Tbsp aquafaba, whisked to soft peaks
For the crumble topping:
1 Tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground almonds
1 Tbsp coconut oil
For the meringue:
50ml (21⁄2 Tbsp) aquafaba
220g (11⁄4 cups) caster (superfine) sugar
Method
First make the pastry. Put the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, coconut oil,
Rhubarb, meringue, rose jam and nuts
combine for this treat sugar and salt into large bowl. Rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Now add the aquafaba and use your hands to bring the dough together. Keep kneading until soft and smooth, then shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap (or eco-wrap) and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C and lightly oil a baking tray measuring about 30cm x 20cm.
On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle roughly the same size as your baking tray. Gently lay the pastry in the tray, pressing it out evenly. Use a fork to prick the pastry all over, then bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
Meanwhile, toast the nuts and brown sugar in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring often, until they begin to caramelise. Set aside to cool.
For the crumble topping, put all the ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until they resemble coarse breadcrumbs.
Remove the pastry base from the oven and set aside to cool, then turn the oven down to 160C.
Next make the meringue by whisking the aquafaba to soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar and keep whisking until you have a smooth and glossy meringue that stands in stiff peaks.
When the pastry base has been cooling for about 15 minutes, spread with the jam. Put the rhubarb in a bowl and toss with the rosewater, then arrange in rows on top of the jam. Place the caramelised nuts in the gaps between the rhubarb. Spoon over the meringue, spreading it out evenly, then sprinkle with the crumble topping.
Bake for 11⁄4 hours until the meringue is cooked and the rhubarb is tender.
Allow to cool completely in the tin; as this tart is quite wet, you may want to serve it directly from the tin as well. Scatter with the rose petals, if using, just before serving.
— Serves 10-12