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Rhubarb-Flan Tarts

This is a riff on Jean-Georges’s grandmother’s rhubarb tart. It’s not her recipe for the pastry or the streusel, but the notion of macerating the rhubarb before baking and adding the flan came from her. Mustard may not be a traditional ingredient for desserts, but it adds a definite edge to the jam and it’s my nod to Alsace, from where Jean-Georges hails. You’ll have leftover jam. Try pairing it with cheese or with a sizzling steak.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 8

Ingredients

For the Mustard-Rhubarb Jam

1 cinnamon stick
1 whole clove
1/2 teaspoon (1g) ground mace
1 tablespoon (9g) yellow mustard seeds, crushed
1 1/2 cups (357g) sweet Muscat wine
1/2 cup (120g) red wine vinegar
1 1/2 pounds (680g) ripe rhubarb, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon (0.85g) xanthan gum
(makes about 1 1/2 cups)

For the Rhubarb Filling

8 ounces (227g) ripe rhubarb
1/3 cup (65g) sugar

For the Flan

1/4 cup (60g) heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
3 tablespoons (37g) sugar
1 tablespoon (10g) cornstarch
1 large egg

For the Tarts

Pâte Brisée (page 180)
Graham Streusel (page 214)
Confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

  1. For the Mustard-Rhubarb Jam

    Step 1

    Tie the cinnamon, clove, mace, and mustard seeds in a few layers of cheesecloth. Put the spice sachet in a saucepan with the wine and vinegar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the rhubarb, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

    Step 2

    Drain to get rid of the excess liquid. Remove the spice sachet and puree the rhubarb in a food processor.

    Step 3

    Set up an ice bath in a large bowl.

    Step 4

    Bring the rhubarb back to a simmer. Mix the sugar and xanthan gum and whisk in, a few grains at a time (you don’t want the xanthan gum to clump). Scrape out into a medium bowl and set into the ice bath, stirring often to chill down quickly. Once cool, refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to 1 week.

  2. For the Rhubarb Filling

    Step 5

    Peel the rhubarb and cut into tiny dice. Toss it with the sugar and macerate for at least 2 hours.

  3. For the Flan

    Step 6

    Set up an ice bath in a large bowl.

    Step 7

    Put the cream and vanilla seeds (rinse, dry, and save the pod for another use) in a small saucepan and heat to just below a simmer.

    Step 8

    Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together.

    Step 9

    In a separate bowl, whisk the egg until smooth; gradually whisk in the dry ingredients, beating until smooth.

    Step 10

    Slowly add half the warm cream to the egg mixture and whisk for about 1 minute to temper it. Off of the heat, scrape the egg mixture into the pan and mix well with an immersion blender. Strain into a small bowl and set into the ice bath to chill down quickly, stirring often. Refrigerate until ready to use or for up to 1 day.

  4. For the Tart

    Step 11

    Roll half the dough 1/16 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface. Transfer to a Silpat- or parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes. Cut out eight 2 1/4 x 4-inch rectangles and line eight 3/4 x 3 1/4-inch tart molds with the dough (or cut 3 1/2-inch circles and line 2 1/4-inch tart rings). Place them on the baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes.

    Step 12

    Heat the oven to 375°F or 350°F on convection.

    Step 13

    Strain the rhubarb filling and fill the tart shells to overflowing. Bake until the rhubarb is starting to brown, about 20 minutes.

    Step 14

    Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (300°F if you’re using convection).

    Step 15

    Pour some of the flan into each tart and top each with a generous amount of the graham streusel. Bake until the streusel is browned and the filling is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

    Step 16

    Let cool for at least a few minutes before unmolding. You can serve the tarts warm or at room temperature.

    Step 17

    Spoon some mustard-rhubarb jam onto dessert plates and spread it with the back of a spoon. Dust the tarts with confectioners’ sugar, set them on the jam, and serve.

  5. make it simpler

    Step 18

    Try making this as a single large tart in a 9-inch tart pan. You could doctor some good all-fruit jam from the grocery store with crushed mustard seeds instead of making the jam.

Reprinted with permission from Dessert Fourplay: Sweet Quartets from a Four-Star Pastry Chef by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Copyright © 2008 by Johnny Iuzzini and Roy Finamore. Published by Crown Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Johnny Iuzzini,, executive pastry chef of the world-renowned Jean Georges restaurant in New York City, won the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef from the James Beard Foundation in 2006. This is his first book. Roy Finamore, a publishing veteran of more than thirty years, has worked with many bestselling cookbook authors. He is the author of three books: One Potato, Two Potato; Tasty, which won a James Beard Foundation award; and Fish Without a Doubt.__
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