Rhubarb custard meringue pie

INGREDIENTS: For the filling:

800g rhurbarb, cut into 1.5cm pieces

For the pastry:

150g butter softened 225g plain flour 75g caster sugar

1 egg

For the crème pâtissière:

3 eggs yolks, (keep the white for the meringue)

1 vanilla pod

75g sugar

20g flour

250ml milk

For the meringue:

3 egg whites 125g of caster sugar Rhubarb compote

METHOD:

Put the rhubarb and a teaspoon of water in a frying pan and heat gently, stirring occasionally until it softens and you have purée and some pieces of rhubarb. Leave to cool in a sieve over a bowl so any excess water drains away.

For the pastry:

Heat your oven to 180°C (fan). Combine the ingredients to make a dough. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thickness and line a 22cm tart dish.

Prick the dough with a fork to stop it from rising and prebake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

To make the crème pâtissière:

Slit the vanilla pod in half lengthways and place in a medium-sized pan with the milk. Bring to the boil.

Mix the egg yolks with the sugar and flour in a medium-sized bowl and stir very well. Slowly pour the hot milk over the egg/sugar mixture, stirring the whole time. Return to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until the crème pâtissière thickens. The texture needs to be thick like Greek yoghurt but not too thick. Add a little more milk if it thickens too much.

For the meringue:

Beat the egg whites until very firm with an electric whisk. Add the sugar and beat again until firm again.

Spoon the mixture into a large piping bag with a nozzle

To assemble the tart:

Heat the oven to 180°C. Spread the crème pâtissière on the base, then the rhubarb compote and then pipe mini meringues on top of the tart. Bake for 10-12 minutes checking that the meringue does not go too dark. Serve warm.

www. homecookingbyfabienne. co.uk