Strawberry and Rhubarb Flan

Serves: 6

Preparation:  20 minutes

Cooking Time:  35 minutes

Category: Pudding / Vegetarian

Plan: Can be made 3-4 hours in advance and served either warm, or cooled

Difficulty:  Easy

Course:  Pudding

Cuisine:  Lunch, Dinner or Entertaining

Our rhubarb is coming up in our new veg patch and I think this is a very under-rated fruit and which tastes even better when combined with other fruits.   A magical pairing is with Strawberries and I am now trying out new recipes making the most of this wonderful combination.   Even better when served with home made

Strawberries and Cream ice cream!

This tart was so divine, we almost ate it all before I remembered to photograph it!

The Demerara sugar adds a wonderful crunch on the egg brushed pastry and this tart is best eaten

shortly after cooking!!!!

If you want a quick and seriously easy pudding and are entertaining - this is for you!!!

I use an 11" / 23cm glass flan dish for making this pudding.

Ingredients

• 400g Rhubarb, washed and cut into small diagonal chunks
  
• 500g Strawberries, hulled and sliced if they are big ones
  
• 280g Ready rolled Puff Pastry
  
• One egg, beaten
  
• 4 -5 tablespoons Demerara sugar

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 200C/190C Fan
   
   
2. Sprinkle some Demerara sugar on the base of the flan dish and set aside.
   
   
3. Wash, and cut the rhubarb into small diagonal chunks, set aside.
   
   
4. Hull the strawberries, and slice the larger ones into a small size, but keep the smaller ones whole.
   
   
5. Using a silicone sheet or dusted board, roll out the puff pastry with a sheet of greaseproof paper on top to prevent sticking.    Roll out using extra handfuls of plain flour until you have a round shape which is bigger than your dish and allowing the pastry to be edged nicely.
   
   
6. Tip the rhubarb into the pastry flan case and distribute evenly.
   
   
7. Tip the strawberries on to the top of the rhubarb and arrange nicely.
   
   
8. Brush beaten egg generously around the edges if the pastry.
   
   
9. Sprinkle Demerara sugar on to the fruit and also onto the beaten egg around the whole edge of the pastry case.
   
   
10. Bake in the oven for 25 - 30 mins.   As a precaution, after 15 - 20 mins, as soon as the edges are turning golden, put a sheet of foil over the tart for the remaining cooking time to prevent the pastry from scorching.
    
    
11. This flan is absolutely divine - so simple to make and gorgeous served with home made strawberry ice cream, or Rosemary flavoured Vanilla ice cream, or even a plain lemon flavoured yogurt.