I always look forward to forced rhubarb season. One of my favourite ever trips was to visit Rhubarb Robert, a farmer in Yorkshire, who showed me how they grow and force rhubarb into the wonderful, neon-pink stuff that we use in restaurants at this time of year. The sheds are lit with candles and you can actually hear the rhubarb popping as it grows. Fascinating.
Rhubarb galette
This galette uses double cream in the dough, which helps to bring it together and bake into a crumbly pastry. It works well with something savoury, too, such as pumpkin, cheese and pesto.
Prep 10 min
Chill 4 hr+
Cook 45 min
Serves 4
For the pastry
120g wholemeal flour
A pinch of salt
50g cold unsalted butter, cubed
50ml double cream
10g caster sugar
For the filling
200g rhubarb
60g light brown sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1 egg, beaten
For the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using your fingertips, rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles very fine breadcrumbs.
Pour in the cream and caster sugar, and bring the mixture together to make a loose dough (it won’t be really wet – it should be almost slightly dry, but that’s a good thing). Tip out the dough on to a work surface and use your hands to work it into a disc. Wrap tightly in greaseproof paper or clingfilm, and chill for at least four hours.
Cut the rhubarb into 3-4cm pieces and toss with the brown sugar and lemon zest.
Heat the oven to 185C (165C fan)/360F/gas 4½. Roll out the pastry into a 25cm-diameter circle and place on a greased and lined oven tray. Pile the rhubarb up in the middle, leaving a 5cm border all around the edge, then fold the edges up over the sides of the rhubarb, to create a ridge. Brush all the exposed pastry with the beaten egg.
Bake for 45 minutes, until the edges are golden and the rhubarb is soft to the touch, then remove and leave to cool before serving with creme fraiche or pouring cream.
