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LE GAVROCHE RHUBARB TART

Chef Daniel Buss of the Banffshire Club at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel brought this recipe back from a two-week stint at Michel Roux’s famed Le Gavroche restaurant in London. It’s a simple open-faced tart, with a creamy custard base.

Filling:

800 g (4-5 cups) rhubarb, chopped

150 g (3/4 cup) sugar, divided

3 tablespoons crème fraiche (see below)

2 eggs

3 tablespoons pastry flour, sifted

Sweet pastry:

160 g (2/3 cup) unsalted butter

100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

pinch of sea salt

1 egg yolk

300 g (3 cups) pastry flour, sifted

Crème Fraiche

To make your own crème fraiche, mix 2 cups of whipping cream with 1/2 cup of sour cream and let stand, covered, at room temperature for 12 hours. When the mixture is nicely thickened, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Combine the chopped rhubarb and ¼ cup of the sugar and set aside overnight to marinate in the refrigerator.

For the pastry, use your fingers to work the butter, sugar, salt and egg yolk together until crumbly (you can also use the food processor for this). Add the flour, mixing until just incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Butter a 20 cm tart pan. Heat oven to 425F (220C). Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3 mm and use to line the prepared pan. Prick the base all over with a fork.

Drain the rhubarb well. Arrange the drained rhubarb in an even layer in the tart shell.

For the custard filling, whisk together the remaining ½ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons of crème fraiche, eggs, and flour until smooth. Pour over the rhubarb in the tart shell.

Bake the tart for 10 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 350 F (180C) and continue to cook for 30 minutes more. Remove from the oven and set the tart on a cooling rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. This tart is excellent with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 8.

RHUBARB SYRUP

Make this simple rhubarb syrup and keep it in the fridge to use as a base for a refreshing rhubarb soda or to shake it up with vodka for a locally-inspired rhubarb martini.

6 cups rhubarb, chopped

2 cups water

1- 1 ½ cups sugar (approx.)

In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the rhubarb and water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until rhubarb is breaking down.

Strain through a colander, pressing to release all of the juice.

Measure the juice (you should have about 3 cups), and pour it into a clean saucepan. Add ½ cup of sugar for every cup of rhubarb juice. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Pour into a clean jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks (or freeze). To use, pour over ice in a glass and add equal parts soda water. Or shake with ice and vodka for Prairie Vodka Martinis.