Rhubarb Tart with Lemon Custard

To prepare the rhubarb tart with lemon custard, start by making the Lemon Cream. Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan 1 and flavor with lemon zest, being careful not to use the bitter white part 2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with the whisks 3.

Add the sifted cornstarch 4, then the hot milk a little at a time 5 and mix vigorously to get a smooth and fluid mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, filtering it with a sieve 6.

Put the mixture back on the heat 7, stirring until it thickens 8, then transfer it to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap in contact with the surface to prevent a skin from forming 9. Let the cream cool first at room temperature and then in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, prepare the Shortcrust pastry starting with the sablage: place the cold butter cut into cubes in a food processor equipped with blades along with the flour 10. Operate the processor until a sandy mixture is obtained, then transfer it to a work surface; make a well and add the powdered sugar, grated lemon zest 11, and egg yolks 12.

First, work the dough with a fork, then with your hands 13; knead briefly, just long enough to compact the dough so the pastry doesn't become too warm from the heat of your hands and stays crisp. Form a patty and flatten it before wrapping it in plastic wrap 14; place it in the refrigerator to firm up for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, clean the rhubarb by washing, drying, and trimming the ends 15.

Cut the rhubarb into 4-inch strips 16. In a pan, pour the sugar and water and turn on the heat 17. Dissolve the sugar and place the rhubarb pieces, cooking them for about 2 minutes on each side 18.

Turn the rhubarb with kitchen tongs and continue cooking 19. Then place it on a rack to drain the excess syrup and let it cool 20. Once the time has passed, take the pastry dough and with the help of a rolling pin, roll it out on a slightly floured work surface 21.

Butter and dust a tart pan measuring 13.8x4.3 inches with flour, then lay the shortcrust pastry with the help of the rolling pin 22. Remove the excess edges, cutting them with a small knife, and make the pastry adhere well to the pan by pressing it with a ball of dough wrapped in a piece of plastic wrap (23-24).

Prick the base of the tart with the prongs of a fork 25, then transfer the now cold custard into a pastry bag without a nozzle to which you can make a cut and distribute it on the base 26, smoothing it well with a spatula 27.

Once finished, decorate the tart with the rhubarb cut into strips, carefully placing them on the custard side by side (28-29); bake in a static oven at 355°F for 30 minutes (or at 320°F for 20 minutes if using a convection oven). Once ready, let it cool, and finally, you can enjoy your rhubarb tart with lemon custard 30!