1 pound, 6 ounces rhubarb, chopped into
1-inch chunks
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons water
Cook the rhubarb, sugar and water together slowly in a covered saucepan until the rhubarb is soft. Pour the contents of the pan into a strainer over a bowl, and leave until the juice has finished dripping through. Reserve stewed fruit and juice separately.
Lemon Cream Filling
6 egg yolks and 1 whole egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Grated zest and juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1 1/2 to 2 cups heavy cream
Crumbs from a thick slice of pound or yellow cake or 1 cup ladyfinger crumbs
Confectioners’ sugar
Beat the yolks and the whole egg with the sugar, lemon zest, juice, vanilla and cream. Then transfer to a pitcher. Put a layer of cake crumbs over the bottom of the pre-baked tart shell, and spoon the drained rhubarb on top of them. Put the tart onto a baking sheet in the oven, and then pour the lemon mixture over the rhubarb. Bake until just set, about 25-30 minutes.
Sprinkle a thin layer of confectioners’ sugar over the surface and brown it with a kitchen blowtorch or run it under the broiler briefly. Cool tart, and serve with the remaining rhubarb juice. Makes 8 servings.
