Rhubarb Pie (Rabarberpaj)
By Middagsarkivet
- Medium
- 8 servings
Rhubarb is the first thing in a Nordic garden that is worth eating. It comes up in April, is ready by May, and for a few weeks it is the only homegrown thing in the kitchen that is not a stored potato. The pie that follows is a fixed point of the season: a sweet short crust, a mountain of pink stalks, and enough sugar to make the whole thing possible.
In Sweden this is rabarberpaj, in Denmark rabarbertærte, and the dividing line is mostly the topping. The crumble version is faster, but the short crust version is the one that gets made when people are coming over, usually with a lattice on top so the juices can see daylight. Later in summer the stalks turn green and woody and the same pie needs more sugar and longer in the oven. The first thin stalks need neither.
American supermarket rhubarb works perfectly well, fresh in spring or frozen year round. If you use frozen, do not thaw it first, and add an extra tablespoon of potato starch, because it carries more water than it looks like it does.
How to make it
- 1
Make the dough
Whisk the flour, confectioners' sugar, salt and cardamom together in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few flat flakes left.
- 2
Bring it together
Add the egg yolk and the ice water and work the dough just until it holds together in a ball. Do not knead it smooth. Press two thirds into a disk and the remaining third into a smaller disk.
- 3
Chill
Wrap both disks and refrigerate until firm.
- 4
Line the pan
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Press the large disk evenly into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, covering the bottom and going about 1 inch up the sides. Prick the base all over with a fork.
- 5
Blind bake
Line the shell with parchment, fill with pie weights or dried beans, and bake on the lower rack for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights.
- 6
Mix the filling
Toss the rhubarb with the sugar, potato starch, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir again so no dry starch is left in the bowl.
- 7
Fill and top
Pile the rhubarb into the warm shell and level it. Roll the smaller dough disk out on a floured counter and cut it into strips about 3/4 inch wide. Lay them over the filling in a lattice and press the ends onto the rim.
- 8
Glaze
Beat the reserved egg white with a fork, brush it over the lattice, and scatter the pearl sugar on top.
- 9
Bake
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 40 to 45 minutes, until the lattice is golden brown and the juices bubble thickly in the gaps. If the crust colors too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely on top for the last 10 minutes.
- 10
Rest
Let the pie cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. The filling sets as it cools, and a hot pie runs. Serve warm with cold heavy cream poured over.
A couple of tips
Thin early stalks need no peeling. Later in the season, pull the stringy outer skin off the thick stalks with a paring knife, or the pie turns fibrous.
If the dough cracks while you line the pan, patch it with your fingers. Short crust has no gluten structure to protect, and the patches disappear in the oven.
Do not taste the raw dough. It contains raw flour and raw egg, both of which need the oven first.
What you need
- 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom
- pie weights or dried beans
Serving
Serve warm with cold heavy cream poured straight from the pitcher, which is how it is usually eaten in Sweden and Denmark. Lightly whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or cold vanilla sauce all work just as well.
Storing it
Covered at room temperature the pie keeps 2 days, or 4 days in the refrigerator, though the crust softens there. Reheat slices for 10 minutes at 350°F (175°C) to crisp them back up. Baked and fully cooled, the whole pie freezes for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 500 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 26 g |
| of which saturated | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 63 g |
| of which sugars | 30 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Salt | 0 g |
Questions and answers
- Can I use frozen rhubarb for rhubarb pie?
- Yes, and you should not thaw it first. Toss it frozen with the sugar and an extra tablespoon of potato starch, and add about 10 minutes to the baking time.
- Why is my rhubarb pie runny?
- Either it was cut while still hot, or the stalks were unusually juicy. Let the pie cool at least 30 minutes before slicing, and use a full 3 tablespoons of potato starch.
- Can I make the pie dough ahead?
- The dough keeps 3 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. Let frozen dough thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.
- Do I have to peel the rhubarb?
- Not for the first thin stalks of spring. Thick late season stalks have a tough skin worth pulling off with a paring knife.
- Can I swap the lattice for a crumble topping?
- Yes. Rub 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 4 tablespoons cold butter into crumbs and scatter them over the filling instead of the strips.
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