Prep time: 25 minutes + cooling
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 4-6
1 bunch rhubarb
1 tablespoon caster sugar
250g strawberries, halved
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 cup (35g) pistachio kernels
2 teaspoons caster sugar, extra
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 sheets filo pastry
60g butter, melted
icing sugar, to dust
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Trim the rhubarb, discard the leaves, and cut the stems into 3cm lengths. Place into a large, deep frying pan, and sprinkle the sugar over. Add 2 tablespoons water, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the pieces are soft but holding their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Fold the strawberries and vanilla through, and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
2. Meanwhile, spread the pistachios onto an oven tray. Bake for about 3 minutes, until lightly toasted. Cool, then finely chop. Combine with the extra sugar and the cinnamon.
3. Lay out a sheet of filo and brush with melted butter (keep the rest of the filo covered with a clean dry tea towel, with a damp tea towel on top of that). Sprinkle with half the pistachio mixture, and lay another filo sheet on top. Brush with butter, taking care not to tear the filo.
4. Fold the layered filo in half to make what is roughly a square, and brush the top with melted butter. Use kitchen scissors to cut the sheet into 4 smaller squares. Repeat with remaining filo, butter and nut filling to make 4 more small squares. Use your fingertips to gather the squares into ruffled pieces about 8cm across.
5. Transfer the rhubarb mixture to a 20cm pie plate. Place the filo pieces over the filling, close together. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the pastry is golden-brown. Dust lightly with icing sugar to serve.
