At home with our head chef

While our restaurant kitchen is temporarily closed, our home kitchens certainly are not with children and grown ups alike to be sated. Our head chef Kieran Glennon has jotted down a seasonal spoil below for you to bake and enjoy at home.

 

 

Rhubarb and Apple Crumble

Pastry

250g plain flour

A pinch of salt

125g chilled butter, cubed

50g caster sugar

2 eggs

 

Filling

4 stalks fresh rhubarb

4 Pink Lady apples

75g vanilla sugar

 

Crumble topping

125g butter

50g plain flour

250g Demerara sugar

100g ground almonds

Fistful of pecan nuts

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 150ºC. Grease a 25cm loose bottomed tart tin. To make the pastry put the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the sugar and then add the eggs a little at a time until combined. Turn out onto a floured worktop, shape into a ball then flatten out into a disc and wrap in cling film. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

To make the pastry case, sprinkle your rolling pin lightly with flour and roll out the dough using short strokes to avoid stretching until shaped 5cm larger than the tin. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and lay it across the tin. Press the dough into the corners of the tin using your fingers and trim off the edges. Prick the base with a fork and fill the pastry case with a round of baking paper before adding baking beans. Bake for 45 minutes until pale and golden. Take out of the oven and remove the beans and paper. Set aside to cool. Turn the oven up to 180ºC.

To prepare the filling, chop the rhubarb into half inch segments. Core and peal the apples and dice into similarly sized pieces. Place in a baking dish, sprinkle over the sugar and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 170ºC.

For the crumble, rub the butter into the flour and mix in remaining ingredients.

To finish, place the rhubarb and apple mixture into the pastry case, cover with the crumble mixture and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Serve warm and savour with freshly whipped cream or ice cream.