Ingredients
For the pastry:
100g/3½oz plain flour
pinch salt
pinch caster sugar
50g/1¾oz unsalted butter at room temperature
½ egg
a little milk
For the filling:
500g/1lb 2oz rhubarb
55-80g/2-3oz caster sugar (to taste)
10-15 cardamon pods
1 orange, juice and zest only
large splash of a good dessert wine
Method
1. Make the pastry: place the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Break in the butter in small pieces and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Make a well and using a round bladed knife incorporate the egg and milk until the pastry is almost bound together. Finish by kneading together with your fingertips. Do not overwork the pastry.
4. Wrap in polythene and place in the fridge to rest for half an hour.
5. Grease and lightly flour 4 tartlet cases. Roll out the pastry and cut into 4 rounds large enough to line the tartlet cases. Bake blind for 15-20 minutes at 180C/350F/Gas 4.
6. For the filling: whilst the pastry is resting, clean and chop up the rhubarb. Leave quite chunky.
7. Place the rhubarb in an ovenproof dish with the other ingredients. You can leave the cardamon pods whole and pick them out later or split the pods and grind in a pestle and mortar (this releases more flavour so you may wish to use fewer pods).
8. Roast the rhubarb in a hot oven (180-200C/350-400F/Gas 4-6) for 10 minutes.
9. Allow to cook a bit and pick out the cardamon pods if necessary (do not discard).
10. Strain the rhubarb. Leave it sitting in a sieve over a pan for about 20 minutes until all the cooking liquor has drained off.
11. Return the cardamon pods to the cooking liquor and reduce until it forms a nice syrup. You can adjust the sugar now to taste or add a splash more wine if you like. Finally remove the cardamon pods.
12. Fill the tartlet cases with the rhubarb and spoon over some warm syrup.
13. Serve immediately.
