A beautifully pink hued tart featuring a creamy and delicately flavored strawberry panna cotta in a rich shortbread crust. Topped with rhubarb poached in a syrup of vanilla, cardamom and black pepper for a striking and flavorful spring dessert.
½cup (113g, 4oz)unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼cup (50g)granulated sugar
½teaspoonkosher salt
1cup (120g)all purpose flour
1egg yolk
STRAWBERRY PANNA COTTA FILLING
1tablespoonunflavored gelatin, powdered (see ingredient notes for sheet gelatin)
2tablespooncold water
½lb (226g)strawberries, hulled and chopped
½cup (125mL)whole milk
2cups (500mL)heavy cream
⅓cup (67g)granulated sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
POACHED RHUBARB
1lb (453g)rhubarb, cut on the diagonal into 2 to 3 inch pieces
½cup (100g)granulated sugar
½cup (125mL)water
½vanilla bean pod, split in half lengthwise
⅛teaspooncardamom, ground
⅛teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
Instructions
PATE SUCREE
Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar and salt. Mix well to combine, and continue beating on medium high until mixture is pale and fluffy, about two minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour and mix until just combined. Mixture will be coarse and grainy.
Add the egg yolk and mix for about 30 seconds. The dough should start to pull together into a ball.
Flatten the dough into a disc shape and wrap well with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit for 20-30 minutes to soften slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 10 inch diameter circle, making sure that it does not stick. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough and work surface as needed.
Carefully transfer dough to the 9 inch tart pan by rolling it over the rolling pin then lifting and unrolling it over the tin. Gently press the dough down into the pan while lifting up the sides, ensuring that no empty space remains between the dough and the pan. If any cracks or tears occur, patch with extra dough scraps. Trim the excess dough with a knife held parallel to your work surface, cutting from the inside out to ensure the tart shell has a clean edge. Cover tart pan with plastic wrap and place in freezer to chill for 30+ minutes. (You can also stop at this stage if you need to break the steps up into multiple days - just make sure the tart is well wrapped and sealed if you plan to leave it in the freezer for a while).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C, Gas number 4). Remove tart pan from freezer and cover the dough with a piece of parchment paper that you've crumpled up and then flattened back out. Fill with pie weights or dried beans (I use and reuse the latter) to keep the dough from bubbling up. Bake for 20 minutes and then carefully lift the weight-filled parchment from the pan, paying extra care to not bump the outer tart crust. Return to the oven to bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Place on a baking rack to cool.
STRAWBERRY PANNA COTTA FILLING
In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water and mix to incorporate. Set aside to bloom for 3-5 minutes.
Using a blender, stick blender or food processor, blend the berries and milk until the strawberries are pureed. Strain mixture through a very fine strainer into a bowl. If needed, press on the mixture in the strainer with the back of a spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Set aside.
Add the sugar and cream to a heavy 3 qt saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, add the strawberry mixture, vanilla extract and bloomed gelatin, and whisk over an ice bath (or some very cold water in your sink) until gelatin has completely dissolved and no graininess remains. Be careful not to introduce any water from the ice bath into your panna cotta! You can test to see if the gelatin is dissolved by rubbing a bit of the liquid between your fingers, much as you would with a swiss meringue. It should feel smooth with no graininess. Cool to room temperature, stirring frequently to ensure mixture remains homogeneous.
Pour panna cotta mixture into the prepared tart shell. It should fill the tart most of the way, but not quite reach the top. Carefully transfer the tart to the fridge for 4+ hours to set.
POACHED RHUBARB
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add water, sugar, vanilla pod, cardamom, and black pepper. Stir to combine, and add rhubarb slices. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer, carefully turning the rhubarb so that it cooks evenly. Cook for 5-7 minutes, watching to make sure it doesn't get too soft. Overcooked rhubarb can become mushy. A knife should go through the rhubarb easily, but it should retain its shape. Err on the side of slightly underdone - it will continue to cook in the pan with the retained heat.
When cool, use an offset spatula or pancake flipper to transfer rhubarb (piece by piece) to the top of the chilled tart. Work carefully - the poached rhubarb is delicate. Save the additional rhubarb syrup to spoon onto individual slices of the tart, or to add to drinks.