Rhubarb Buttermilk Tarts

For the tart dough: Sift the flour into a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs and yolks and mix until just incorporated. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Transfer to the work surface, bring together by hand, if needed, and divide in half. Flatten each piece into a disc about ½-inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.

For the jam: In a large saucepan, combine the rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, port wine, grenadine, and salt. Scrape the vanilla bean and add the seeds and the pod to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often to keep from scorching, until the rhubarb releases all of the liquid, is tender, and thickens, about 10 minutes.

For the poached rhubarb: Put the rhubarb in a large storage container or bowl.

Pour the simple syrup into a Dutch oven. Scrape the vanilla beans, add the seeds and the pods to the syrup, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Pour the syrup over the rhubarb, cover, and let cool to room temperature.

To roll out and bake the tart dough: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a sheet pan(s) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Arrange twenty-four 3-to-3 ½-inch tart/flan rings on the pans.

Working with the first piece of dough, unwrap and place between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll to ⅛-inch thick. Remove the top piece of parchment paper, cut circles to fit, and line 12 of the rings, being sure to gently press against the sides and into the bottom edges. Repeat with the remaining dough and rings. Patch any cracks. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then trim the tops to remove any excess dough.

Line the shells with parchment paper, letting it extend over the top of the rings, and fill with dried beans. Bake, rotating the pan once, until the sides are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and the beans and cook until the bottoms are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set on a cooling rack and cool completely. Run a paring knife around the edge of each tart to loosen from the rings and lift off the rings.

For the pie filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and the yolks. Then, whisk in the sugar and flour, followed by the brown butter, buttermilk, nutmeg, and the salt, until smooth. Transfer to a spouted measuring cup for easier pouring.

To assemble and bake the tarts: Brush the bottom of the tarts with the jam and top with about 2 tablespoons of drained, poached rhubarb. Pour in the filling to cover the rhubarb and bake until set, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature.

To assemble: Slice the tart in half and sprinkle the top generously with the crumble. Brush jam on the bottom of each serving plate and set the tart on top. Add dollops of fennel foam, more drained, poached rhubarb, and the chopped almonds. Finish with a quenelle of the ice cream and garnish with fennel fronds.

For the brown butter ice cream: Prepare an ice bath. Set a bowl in the ice bath with a strainer across the top.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl until the mixture has thickened.

Bring the milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan

Slowly, whisk the milk into the yolk mixture.

Return to the saucepan. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, heat over medium heat, scraping the sides and bottom often, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon (steam will just begin to rise from the surface).

Remove from the heat. Add the cream, brown butter, and vanilla. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

Strain into the bowl, and cool, stirring occasionally.

Refrigerate until very cold, preferably overnight.

Blend again if the butter has separated. Pour into an ice cream maker and spin according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the texture of soft serve. For a firmer consistency, transfer to a storage container and freeze to harden.

For the brown butter crumble: Preheat the oven to 325˚F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly, with the mixer running on low speed, add the butter, and continue to mix until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a sheet pan and bake, stirring once halfway through, until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

For the fennel foam: If using gelatin sheets, slowly melt the gelatin with half the fennel juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.

Combine all of the juice, sugar, gin, and water in a blender. Then, add the Versawhip, if using, and the xanthan gum. Blend until smooth. Pour into the canister of a whipped cream dispenser, charge twice, shake well, and then refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Rodney Cerdan, Prospect Restaurant, San Francisco.