2020 KEEN YOUNG COOK FINALIST: JOSEPH DUCKETT
Rhubarb Tarts with Ginger & Caramel Sauce
"I chose this recipe because I wanted to demonstrate my knowledge of how to make puff pastry. Lately our recent topic at school has been on pastry and I really wanted to show off my skills. I also chose this recipe because of the seasonality of the rhubarb when it is in season it tastes a lot better due to it being more naturally grown as well as this the pricing of the fruit is cheaper. I also chose this dish because rhubarb is relatively low in sugar as well as containing lots of fibre."
Ingredients
Rhubarb Filling:
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1 egg
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1 tbsp demerara sugar
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1 tbsp creme fraiche
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2 sticks of rhubarb
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2 tbsp icing sugar for dusting
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8 tbsp icing sugar for glaze
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50ml water for glaze
Puff Pastry:
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125g strong plain flour
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0.5tbsp fine sea salt
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125g butter
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75ml cold water
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Spare flour for rolling out
Ginger and Caramel Sauce:
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250g caster sugar
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142ml double cream
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50g butter
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3 level teaspoons ground ginger
Method
Tart recipe
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Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Roll the pastry out thinly and, using a plate or cutter, cut out 4 circles about 14cm in diameter. Use a slightly smaller cutter to cut a circle out of the middle and trim away the outside border, reserving these trimmings.
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Lay the 4 circles on a baking sheet, prick all over with a fork and brush the edges with egg. Use the pastry trimmings to make a border around the edge like a vol-au-vent and press down gently with your thumb. Chill in freezer for 5 minutes.
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In a small bowl, mix the demerara sugar with the crème fraîche and spread a thin amount over the base of each tart. Neatly arrange slices of rhubarb, overlapping in a floral pattern, over the crème fraîche, then dust generously with icing sugar. Bake the tarts for 20 mins until puffed up and golden. Leave to cool.
Puff pastry recipe
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Sift 250g strong plain flour and 1 tsp fine sea salt into a large bowl. Roughly break 250g butter into small chunks, add them to the bowl and rub them in loosely.
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Make a well in the bowl and pour in about two-thirds of 150ml cold water, mixing until you have a firm rough dough adding extra water if needed.
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Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 7 minutes in the freezer.
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Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead gently and form into a smooth rectangle.
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Roll the dough in one direction only, until 3 times the width, about 20 x 50cm. Keep edges straight and even. Don’t overwork the butter streaks; you should have a marbled effect.
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Fold the top third down to the centre, then the bottom third up and over that. Give the dough a quarter turn (to the left or right) and roll out again to three times the length.
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Fold as before, cover with cling film and chill for another 7 mins before rolling to use.