Serve with softly whipped cream.

Ingredients

For the Pastry:

  • 175g plain flour, sifted
  • 50g icing sugar
  • 100g very cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 egg yolk plus a tablespoon of iced water

For the Filling:

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 250mls crème fraîche
  • ½ vanilla pod (split lengthways and seeds scraped out).

For the Rhubarb:

  • 500g rhubarb
  • 150g sugar

Method

  1. Lightly butter a 23cm (9-inch) tart tin and put it in the fridge. Put the flour, and icing sugar in a food processor and aerate with a couple of quick on/off pulses.
  2. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and water (if necessary) and process until the pastry just draws together.
  3. Turn it out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly to form a flat round. Wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for at least 20 minutes before rolling out.
  4. Pre-heat an oven to 190C/gas 5. Roll out to a round at least five centimetres (two inches) larger than the tin.
  5. Wrap the pastry around the rolling pin, lift into place and unroll loosely over the chilled tin.
  6. Gently lift and press the pastry into the tin to line, then roll the rolling pin over the top of the tin to trim off the excess pastry.
  7. Line the chilled pastry case with baking parchment, fill with baking beans and cook for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the beans and paper and cook for another 10 minutes or a little longer, until a light biscuit brown colour.
  8. Turn down the oven temperature to 140C.

For the Rhubarb - this can be done beforehand:

  1. Set the oven to 150C.
  2. Cut the rhubarb into 10cm lengths. Place in a roasting tin. Mix the vanilla seeds with sugar and sprinkle over the rhubarb and roast in the oven until the rhubarb is tender - about 20 minutes.

For the Filling:

  1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl with a metal whisk until smooth fold in the crème fraîche. Pour into the pastry case.
  2. Lay the rhubarb on top.
  3. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until only just set. The custard should still be fairly wobbly in the middle, as it will continue to set as it cools.
  4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting and serving. Serve with softly whipped cream.