Rhubarb and custard pie with butter crumble
I am always looking for different recipes to use the rhubarb crop when it is in season and this one turned out to be a particularly popular one! The mix of rhubarb and egg custard with a sweet, crunchy oat topping is delicious.
You will need a 24cm fluted, loose bottom, deep flan tin. Serves 8.
For the sweet short crust pastry
3 1/2oz softened butter
2 1/2oz caster sugar
3 free range egg yolks
7oz plain flour
For the rhubarb and custard pie
350g rhubarb
100g golden caster sugar
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp plain flour
284ml single cream
For the topping
50g melted butter
50g demerara sugar
50g porridge oats
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Start by making the pastry. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until well combined, then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time until fully incorporated into the mixture. Mix in the flour until the mixture comes together as a ball of dough. Tip the pastry onto a floured board and kneed briefly until smooth. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
For the pie
Preheat the oven to 180degree C/ Gas mark 4/ Fan 160
Cut the rhubarb into bite size pieces, then put them in a frying pan with half the sugar and warm through just until the sugar dissolves (this happens very quickly so don't leave the pan). Tip the rhubarb into a bowl with the juices and leave to cool.
Roll out the pastry quite thinly and use to line the tin. Line with greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake for about 20 minutes until the pastry is pale golden colour. Remove the baking beans and greaseproof paper.
Beat together the egg and egg yolk, vanilla extract, remaining caster sugar and the flour. Gradually whisk in the cream with the juice from the rhubarb (you should have a tablespoon or two). Now spoon the rhubarb into the cooked pastry case and pour the cream mixture over.
Turn the oven up to 200 degrees C/ Gas 6/ Fan 180 and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the custard is very lightly set and there is a thin skin on top.
Mix together all the topping ingredients and spoon evenly over the top of the pie. Return it to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the crumble is golden and the custard set with just a little wobble. The top of the pie may have risen and cracked when you take it out of the oven but it will settle back down on cooling. Serve warm.
