Rhubarb is the ultimate pie fruit (although, technically, it is actually a vegetable). It goes with citrus, berries, custard, cream, hot, cold – it doesn’t seem to matter what you do with it, it always works
Ingredients
For the filling:
• 1kg rhubarb, chopped
• 220g caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon rosewater
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon demerara sugar
For the pastry:
• 375g plain spelt flour
• 55g caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 250g cold unsalted butter, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, mixed with 125 ml cold water and 4 ice cubes
Method
1 For the pastry, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter pieces and toss to coat.
2 Turn out onto a clean work surface and, using a pastry cutter (or flat-bladed knife), roughly cut the butter into the flour mixture (leave some large chunks of butter as this will help the pastry to become nice and flaky as it cooks).
3 Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the vinegar water in 3 batches, working it in with your hands to form a rough dough (you may not need all of the water). 4 Divide the dough in half, shape each piece into a rough disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 3 hours.
5 Cook the rhubarb and caster sugar with 2 tablespoons of water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the rhubarb is thick and jammy.
6 Stir through the rosewater and cornflour and set aside to cool completely.
7 When the pastry has chilled, roll each piece out on a lightly floured work surface into a circle with a thickness of 3 mm.
8 Use one pastry circle to line the base and side of a 24 cm pie dish, and place the other on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Chill both for 30 minutes.
9 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spoon the cooled rhubarb mixture into the pastry-lined pie dish. Cut seven 1.5 cm circles from the pastry circle and lay the lid over the filling.
10 Trim off the excess pastry, pinching the edges to seal.
11 Brush the beaten egg over the top and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Place on a baking tray and bake for 55 minutes or until golden and the filling is bubbling and jammy.
12 Rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe courtesy of Phoebe Woods, extracted from The Pie Project.
