Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie
Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie
Here’s a lovely fresh and zingy dessert pie from The Lincolnshire Chef, Steven Bennett. English Rhubarb starts to come into season from April onwards, though you might have to wait just a few more weeks to source Lincolnshire grown strawberries. It will be worth the wait!
The tartness of the rhubarb is paired perfectly with the sweetness of the strawberries, which are just starting to come into season. All combined with a crumbly sweet pastry and lashings of homemade custard, this hearty dessert will take you back to summers of the past.
PASTRY
- 600g Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
- 180g Butter, Softened
- 130g Caster Sugar
- 6 Free Range Egg Yolks
- 400g Plain Flower, plus extra for dusting
Cream together the butter and sugar until fully combined. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and mix until they’re fully mixed together with the butter and sugar.
Mix in the flour with the dough hook on your mixer, or with a wooden spoon until your hands are needed to form a ball of dough.
Tip out the dough onto a floured worktop and knead together until smooth. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
FILLING
- 3 stems of Rhubarb, cut into 1cm pieces
- 1 medium punnet fresh strawberries, chopped
- 65g Light Brown Sugar
- 65g Granulated Sugar
- 30g Cornflour
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Orange Juice or ¼ tsp Orange Essence
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Egg and 1 tbsp milk, beaten together
Preheat your oven to 200ºc
In a bowl combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornflour, salt, orange and vanilla. Stir together and leave to one side whilst your prepare your pastry case.
Remove your pastry from the fridge and leave at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before rolling out 2/3rds of the dough to fit a 22cm pie dish.
Place the filling into your pie crust and using your fingers or a small spoon, dot the butter evenly over the top of the filling.
Roll out the remaining pastry and cut into strips and shapes to decorate your pie top. A lattice effect is perfect for this pie, as it leaves lots of open top for the filling to breath and cook through, helping to break down that fibrous rhubarb. Once finished, trim the edges and lightly brush the pastry top with the egg and milk mixture, and sprinkle with sugar if desired.
Place the pie dish into the oven, placing a large lipped tin underneath, to catch any bubbling juices. Cook at 200ºc for 20 minutes before turning down the oven to 170ºc and baking for a further 35-45 minutes. If your pie top looks like it’s browning too quickly, lightly place a layer of foil over the top.
Once the pie has cooked through, remove from the oven and serve with generous lashings of homemade custard and/or ice cream.
Tip – if you leave the pie for 2-3 hours after cooking, the filling will thicken event more. Leftovers can be stored in a airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Hayley Toyne, Taste Lincolnshire