Rhubarb pie

“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.”

I look forward all year to the time the rhubarbs are in season. This year was quite a challenge. I remember the times, when going to the market you’d see some elderly ladies selling them. I literally almost climbed the fenced last weekend once rhubarb was spotted in some garden. Luckily – managed to get my hands on enough stalks from different sources.

Ingredients:

* 1-1,2 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

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

Peel the rhubarb, cut into small pieces and sprinkle with 50 g of sugar. Let it sit so juice comes out. Drain before spreading rhubarb on the pie batter.

Mix the flour, 200 g of sugar and salt. Add cold butter, cut into cubes and knead with hands. Once the mass becomes more even, add 1 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 1 egg yolk, vanilla and 50 g of sugar. Pour the mixture on top of the rhubarbs and bake for another 20-25 minutes.

Once the cream gets thick and the rhubarb looks creamy and tender, prepare the meringue. Whip 4 egg whites with lemon juice and 50 g of sugar (add more if you’re a fan of sweetness) 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 – around 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 150 C for another 10-15 minutes, so the meringue dries out a bit.