Rhubarb Cornmeal Tart - rhubarb

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Have all the ingredients at room temperature before you begin.
• Place the rhubarb, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes, until the rhubarb begins to soften.
• Drain the rhubarb.
• Cream the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes (see Know-how, page 315).
• Add the egg, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Stir in the almonds and cornmeal and add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to form a thick batter.
• Add the salt and stir to mix.
• Add half the rhubarb to the tart shell and gently spread the batter evenly over the fruit.
• Top with the remaining rhubarb and bake for 10 minutes.
• Reduce the temperature to 325F and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and puffy.
• Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the sides of the tart pan by carefully lifting the tart from the center of the pan base; the ring should slide right off.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Place the flour, confectioners sugar, cornmeal, and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix.
• Add the butter and pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse meal; do not overmix.
• Add the egg yolks, the 3 tablespoons ice water, and vanilla and pulse two or three times, just until the dough comes together.
• If the dough is dry and crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough comes together; do not add so much water that the dough becomes wet or sticky.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and, with lightly floured hands, form into a flat, round disk.
• Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, or until the dough is firm enough to roll.
• Check the tart recipe for special rolling instructions.
• To prepare a basic tart shell, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for about 10 minutes.
• Place on a lightly floured work surface.
• Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick.
• Fold the dough in half or gently roll it onto the rolling pin and lift it over the tart pan.
• Press the dough lightly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan and trim the excess dough.
• Prick the bottom of the crust two or three times with a fork to create small holes.
• Cover the crust with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days, before proceeding with a tart recipe or partially or fully prebaking the crust (see Know-how, below).
• Each of the pie and tart recipes in this chapter specifies whether to use an unbaked, partially baked, or prebaked shell.
• If the recipe calls for an unbaked piecrust, simply proceed with the recipe after you have fitted the dough into the pie pan and chilled the shell.
• To prepare a partially baked crust: Preheat the oven to 425F.
• Prepare the unbaked shell as directed in the recipe.
• Line the bottom of the shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with ceramic pie weights, dried beans, or dried coffee beans; this keeps the shell from shrinking as it bakes.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough is no longer translucent but not yet golden-brown.
• Remove from the oven and let cool.
• To prepare a prebaked crust: Prepare a partially baked pie shell, as above, but do not remove from the oven.
• Remove the parchment paper and pie weights and continue baking for 6 to 8 minutes more, until the crust is golden brown and flaky.
• Remove from the oven and let cool.