“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.”
A bit of botanical information..
Rhubarb is a plant name for the many different species of Rheum, growing in the wild in the mountains of the Western and North-western provinces of China and in the adjoining Tibetan territory and in cultivation in much of Europe and the United States. The name rhubarb (Middle English - rubarbe, Middle French - reubarbe, Medieval Latin - reubarbarum) - alteration of rha barbarum, literally, barbarian rhubarb, dating 15th century.
Rhubarb is a vegetable with a unique taste that makes it a favorite in many pies and desserts. It originated in Asia over 2,000 years ago. It was initially cultivated for its medicinal qualities, it was not until the 18th century that rhubarb was grown for culinary purposes in Britain and America. Rhubarb is often commonly mistaken to be a fruit but rhubarb is actually a close relative of garden sorrel, and is therefore a member of the vegetable family. Rhubarb is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.
Conclusion - rhubarb is a healthy vegetable. Another conclusion - a rhubarb pie is a healthy dessert! Now I am very grateful to Hillar and Helen for sharing this recipe with me. The best rhubarb I've tried so far!
Ingredients:
* 1 kg fresh rhubarb
* 300 g sugar
* 200 g flour
* 100 g cold butter
* 2 eggs + 2 egg whites
* 200 ml heavy cream
* 1/2 vanilla bean (may be substituted with vanilla extract)
* 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Peel the rhubarb, cut into small pieces and sprinkle with 50 g of sugar. Let it sit so a bit of juice comes out. Drain before spreading rhubarb on the pie batter.
Mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add cold butter, cut into cubes and knead with hands. Once the mass becomes more even, add an egg yolk and a tablespoon of cream and continue kneading until smooth dough forms. Roll the batter into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for ~30 min. Afterwards spread the dough evenly over the bottom and sides of a baking dish and fill with drained rhubarb bits.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes in 180 C. Mix the remaining heavy cream with egg, vanilla and 50g of sugar. Pour the mixture on top of the rhubarbs and bake for another 20-25 minutes. I had tried substituting cream with soy cream for the sake of healthier version. The pie was good and tasty, but the rhubarb mass didn't turn out as smooth and creamy.
Once the cream gets thick and the rhubarb looks creamy and tender, prepare the meringue. Whip the egg whites with lemon juice and sugar into thick foam. Spread the egg white mass over the pie and bake a bit more until the tips of the meringue peaks start to turn brown.
In this final step I bake the pie for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 150 C for another 10-15 minutes, so the meringue dries out a bit.
Bon appetit!
