Rhubarb and custard usually means a bowl and a jug, but this Hairy Bikers rhubarb and custard tart rebuilds the pairing in pastry. Each of the eight slices carries about 590 calories from British Classics, and the fridge handles most of the four and a half hours.
The book calls this “a tart to be proud of”, though it admits there is a bit of work involved. “It can all be done in advance and it’s well worth it we promise,” they write, so nothing happens in a rush.
The bake decides everything, because the custard comes out when it is only just set. A fairly wobbly middle is exactly right, since the tart keeps setting as it cools and firms fully in the fridge.
Hairy Bikers Rhubarb and Custard Tart Recipe
Description
Three parts built separately, then brought together at the table: a blind-baked pastry case, a vanilla custard set gently in the oven, and rhubarb cooked so it holds its shape. Extra pouring cream on the side finishes it properly.
Ingredients
For the pastry
For the custard
For the rhubarb topping
Instructions
- Make the pastry: Pulse the flour and butter in a food processor to fine breadcrumbs, then gradually add the beaten egg until a rough ball forms. Roll it out 5cm wider than a deep 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin about 4cm deep, to the thickness of a pound coin.
- Line and chill: Lower the pastry into the tin and push it into the base and sides, then trim it by pinching it slightly above the rim. Roll the trimmings into a ball and save them, then prick the base and chill for 30 minutes.
- Blind bake: Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6, then line the case with crumpled baking paper and baking beans. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the paper and beans, then bake 3 more minutes until the surface is dry.
- Patch and lower the heat: Turn the oven down to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3, and patch any holes with the saved pastry so the filling cannot leak.
- Make the custard: Whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar until smooth. Heat the milk and cream gently with the split vanilla pod until hot but not boiling, remove the pod, then slowly stir the liquid into the eggs and pour it all into the case.
- Bake until just set: Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the custard is only just set with a fairly wobbly middle. Cool the tart completely, then chill it for at least 2 hours.
- Cook the rhubarb: Dissolve the sugar with a tablespoon of water in a large frying pan over a low heat. Lay the rhubarb in a single layer and cook gently for 4 minutes, then turn and cook 3-4 minutes more until softened but not falling apart, then cool and chill.
- Assemble at the table: Just before serving, release the tart from its tin and spoon the rhubarb on top. Serve immediately, with extra cream to pour.
FAQs
Why does the book prefer forced rhubarb?
Forced rhubarb is the slim pink kind grown in the dark through late winter, so it is more tender and less sharp than garden rhubarb. That tenderness means it softens in minutes in the pan, while the pink keeps the tart looking as good as it tastes.
Ordinary outdoor rhubarb still works, because the ingredients allow extra sugar to taste. Just expect a sharper flavour and a greener colour, so taste before you decide it needs more sweetness.
Why does the rhubarb cook in a single layer?
Because piling it up steams it into mush, and this tart needs pieces that hold their shape. One flat layer touches the hot pan evenly, so each piece softens in about eight minutes without collapsing.
Turning it just once protects it too, since rhubarb breaks the moment it is stirred around. Lift the pieces out gently and they stay whole all the way to the plate.
How far ahead can I make each part?
This is where the tart earns its place, because every component waits. The baked custard tart needs at least 2 hours in the fridge anyway, while the cooked rhubarb chills happily alongside it.
Only the final assembly cannot wait, so the rhubarb goes on just before serving. Sitting together longer would soften the custard’s surface, which is why the book says serve immediately.
Why keep the pastry trimmings?
They are the book’s insurance policy, because blind-baked pastry often develops small cracks or holes. A raw scrap pressed over each one seals the case, so the liquid custard cannot escape during its long bake.
Without the patch, custard leaks under the pastry and the slices fall apart. Thirty seconds of checking saves the whole dessert, which is why the trimmings get wrapped rather than binned.
Do the Hairy Bikers have other custard tarts?
Yes, several, because they clearly love the family. Their classic plain custard tart appears in two of their books, there is a Portuguese custard tarts recipe, and even a savoury parmesan version.
Custard runs right through their baking beyond tarts too. Their bread and butter pudding bakes brioche in an orange custard, while their rice pudding gives milk and rice the same slow oven treatment.
