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
For the Rhubarb Filling
For the Flan
For the Tarts
Preparation
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.