A traditional pie from Fintan O'Toole.
Ingredients
- 350 g rhubarb (trimmed)
- 100 g caster sugar
- 350 g sweet shortcrust pastry
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 free range egg yolk
- 0.25 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tblsp plain flour
- 130 ml single cream
- for the topping:
- 50 g butter (melted)
- 50 g demerara sugar
- 50 g porridge oats
- 0.5 tsp ground ginger
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4.
- Cut the rhubarb into bite-size pieces and put them in a pan with half the sugar. Warm through until the sugar dissolves and immediately tip the rhubarb into a bowl with the juices and leave to cool.
- Roll out the pastry quite thinly and use to line a deep, loose-based 24 cm fluted flan tin (or you can use individual tins) Cover with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans and cook in the hot oven for about 20 minutes until the pastry is pale golden in colour and no longer raw.
- Beat together the egg and egg yolk, vanilla extract, remaining caster sugar until pale and thick, then fold in the flour. Gradually whisk in the cream with any juices that have collected from the rhubarb (you should have a tablespoonful or two) Spoon the rhubarb into the prepared pastry case and pour the cream mixture on top.
- Turn the oven temperature up to 200ºC/Gas 6 and bake for about 20 minutes or until the custard is very lightly set and there is a thin skin on the top.
- Mix together all the topping ingredients and spoon evenly over the pie. Return the pie to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the crumble is golden and the custard is set. Serve warm.
