Sometimes things just work out. I found blood oranges and fresh rhubarb at the market and it gave me the perfect opportunity to try a recipe I’ve been hanging on to for years, in the hope that one day rhubarb and blood oranges would be available at the same time of year. And voila! A sweet, tart confection for those of us who like their sugar in healthier, manageable doses. The sweet oranges complement the rhubarb perfectly; not too sweet but not too tart. If you’re looking for a perfect wedge-shaped piece of pie that stands up proudly on the plate, you will be disappointed. This is more like a cobbler that you spoon into a bowl and eat with spoon – comfortable, casual, and soooo good!
RHUBARB AND BLOOD ORANGE PIE
Adapted from a recipe in Country Life magazine
Serves: 8
Prep time: one hour for dough to cool, 40 minutes to assemble and bake
Ingredients
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For the pastry dough:
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes, cold
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 blood oranges, plus zest from both
- 1 ½ pounds rhubarb, cleaned and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¼ cup preserved ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 1/8 cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar for sprinkling on top
- Crème fraiche or whipped cream for garnish
For the fruit mixture:
Directions
- To make the pastry, add the butter to the flour, almond flour, baking powder, sugar and ground ginger in a food processor and pulse until pieces are pea-sized.
- Add water until dough is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and cool in refrigerator for an hour.
- In a large saucepan, cook the rhubarb with butter, orange zest of one orange and sugar until soft. Set aside in refrigerator to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add rhubarb, preserved ginger and slices of blood orange to the bottom of a pie pan. Cut cooled pastry into small shapes and place on top of the fruit mixture, enough to cover the top of the pie.
- Sprinkle brown sugar on top and bake for 25 minutes or until top is browned. Serve warm with crème fraiche or whipped cream, or ginger ice cream.
