When comes to flavoured gins, rhubarb gin has to be one of our all-time favourites. That pairing of our favourite tipple with rhubarb, which is endlessly nostalgia-inducing, is just heavenly.
Give Warner’s Rhubarb Gin or Nelson’s Rhubarb & Custard Gin a go and you will know exactly what we mean (or, if you are feeling particularly creative, have a go at making your own rhubarb gin - it’s easier than you think when you follow a great recipe like the one here).
Of course, as Nelson’s Distillery quickly found out when making their rhubarb edition, you can not think about rhubarb without also thinking about custard. That creamy, mellow, vanilla-infused, silken delight is the perfect match for the tongue-tingling mix of sweet and tart notes that rhubarb delivers, add the rich, complex tones of juniper and you have something truly special.
This incredibly easy Rhubarb Gin & Custard Tart is a beautiful expression of that trio of flavours. The recipe takes you through how to make the perfect biscuity tart case, a delectable custard and a gorgeous roasted rhubarb gin jelly. With clean layers of golden-yellow custard and pink rhubarb, it even looks like those classic rhubarb and custard sweeties from old sweet shops.
If you are a gin-lover and a fiend for rhubarb and custard, like the team here at Craft Gin Club HQ, then this is the baking recipe for you.
Rhubarb Gin & Custard Tart
Ingredients
For the tart case:
300g plain flour
2 eggs, beaten (keep them separate)
150g softened, unsalted butter
80g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
For the custard:
500ml double cream
9 egg yolks
80g sugar
1 vanilla pod
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
For the rhubarb top:
6 stalks of rhubarb
Juice of one orange
100ml rhubarb gin
180g sugar
2 leaves of gelatin soaked in cold water
Method
For the tart case:
1) Sift the icing sugar into the butter and beat the two together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
2) Add one of the eggs and mix until fully incorporated into the butter and sugar - the mixture may look as though it has split at first but keep mixing and it will come together. Repeat with the second egg.
3) Sift in the flour and incorporate it into the mixture until a dough forms and no flour is visible, being careful not to overwork the dough.
4) Layer a piece of clingfilm on the countertop and tip the dough out onto it then press the dough into a rough disk shape using your hands. Fold the clingfilm around the dough and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
5) Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a flour-dusted countertop. Roll out the pastry until half a centimetre thick then move the dough into a loose bottom tart tin lightly greased with butter, making sure the dough sits right into the corners of the case, leaving lots of over-hang around the edges. Place the dough back in the fridge for another 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 180C.
6) Prick the base and then line the pastry case with baking parchment filled with baking beans. Bake the tart case for 30 minutes then remove the baking beans and egg-wash the interior of the case with the egg yolk before placing the pastry back in the over to base for a further 30 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven.
7) When the tart case has cooled, trim the edges with a sharp, serrated knife.
For the custard filling:
1) Scrap the seeds from the vanilla pod and add them, with the pod too, to the cream in a saucepan. Place on a medium heat and bring to a simmer then remove from the heat.
2) While the cream is heating up, beat the sugar and the egg yolks together until light, smooth and glossy.
3) Trickle the hot cream into the egg yolk and sugar mixture while stirring continuously so that you don’t make scrambled eggs (this is called tempering).
4) When all of the cream is mixed into the egg and sugar mixture, add everything back to the saucepan on a medium-low heat. When the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon remove it from the heat and pour it into the tart case through a sieve. Fill the tart case up by two-thirds and no more, there may be some spare custard left (as any custard-lover will know, this is never a bad thing!). Give the custard a dusting of grated nutmeg.
5) Place the custard-filled tart back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until there is just a slight wobble in the middle. Then remove the custard tart from the oven and leave to cool.
For the rhubarb top:
1) Cut your rhubarb into batons and place in a baking tray with the sugar, orange juice and gin, mixing them thoroughly so that each baton is coated with the other ingredients.
2) Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender then remove from the oven and sieve the liquid from the tray into a jug (there should be around 200ml, if it isn’t, top up with more of the rhubarb gin). Put the rhubarb in the fridge to cool quickly.
3) While the rhubarb cools, remove the gelatine from the cold water and squeeze out any access liquid. Mix the gelatin into the warm liquid from the tray.
4) Place the cooled rhubarb on top of the custard in the tart case in whatever shape or pattern is attractive to you. Or, if the rhubarb is really mushy, place it in the middle like a delicious mound of rhubarb compote.
5) Stir the liquid from the tray until the gelatine is fully dissolved the liquid is lukewarm then pour the liquid over the rhubarb and custard in the tart case, forming a nice, even pink layer. Leave the tart in the fridge for the gelatine to set and glossy.
Serve the finished tart on its own, with cream and/or with a garnish of strawberries for an extra-special treat.
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