Rhubarb and Vanilla Chantilly Mille-Feuille

Ingredients

• all-butter puff pastry (store-bought or homemade)500g
• rhubarb stalks, trimmed600g
• caster sugar (for rhubarb)120g
• vanilla bean2 count
• icing sugar (for dusting pastry)60g
• heavy cream (35% fat), cold400g
• icing sugar (for Chantilly)40g
• full-fat mascarpone, cold120g
• strawberry jam (seedless, for glazing)80g
• water (for jam glaze)15g
• freeze-dried rhubarb powder (optional, for finish)5g

Method

1. 1.Roll puff pastry to 3mm thick. Chill 30 min, then cut into three 10×30cm rectangles.
2. 2.Prick all over with a fork. Bake at 200°C between two baking trays for 20 min until golden.
3. 3.Dust tops heavily with icing sugar. Return to 230°C and bake 5–7 min until deeply caramelized and lacquered. Cool on a rack.
4. 4.Slice rhubarb into 5cm batons. Toss with caster sugar and scraped seeds from one vanilla bean.
5. 5.Spread rhubarb on a lined tray and roast at 180°C for 12–15 min until just tender but holding shape. Cool completely. Reserve juices.
6. 6.Warm the reserved rhubarb juices with strawberry jam and water until smooth. Strain and set aside as glaze.
7. 7.Whip cold cream, icing sugar, mascarpone, and seeds from the second vanilla bean to firm, glossy peaks. Transfer to a piping bag with a 1cm round nozzle.
8. 8.Place one pastry sheet on a serving board. Pipe even rows of Chantilly across the surface.
9. 9.Arrange roasted rhubarb batons neatly over the cream. Brush lightly with jam glaze.
10. 10.Set the second pastry sheet on top and repeat cream and rhubarb layers.
11. 11.Crown with the final pastry sheet, caramelized side up. Dust with icing sugar and a pinch of freeze-dried rhubarb powder.
12. 12.Refrigerate 30 min before slicing with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion.