The curious taste of rhubarb is one of the most distinctive in our culinary lexicon, yet it’s sadly underused in our cooking. Now rhubarb is in season, why not make time to discover more about the delicious ways you can use this most unlikely of vegetables (no, it isn’t a fruit!)?
You may have noticed that the rhubarb that pops up at this time of year is subtly different from the variety eaten in January: that’s because it’s now warm enough to grow rhubarb in fields as opposed to the “forced” sort that’s grown in dark sheds.
Spring rhubarb can be tougher but has a stronger flavour, which makes it ideal for use in cooking. It’s likely that this year’s crop of rhubarb here in the UK will be especially bountiful, since we’ve had such a harsh winter, and cold temperatures break the vegetable’s dormancy.
Two of the most common ways to use rhubarb is in a crumble or a fool: you can’t beat these dishes for their homely, comforting qualities and both are easy for beginners to make. But if you love the taste of rhubarb and would like to be a bit more adventurous with it, there are plenty of great recipes to try. Here are some of our favourites:
Rhubarb compote
This is a fantastic side dish that works well with fish, particularly grilled mackerel.
It can also be eaten as a desert, which can be enjoyed with ice cream or custard. You can make it even tastier by adding ginger or apple. For a really crazy twist on the dish, add it to a bowl of risotto rice for a more sophisticated variant on rice pudding (recipe here).
To make simple rhubarb compote: melt 100g butter in a pan, add 750g of chopped rhubarb, stir in 100g of sugar and a vanilla pod, then cook until it forms a puree. Whizz it up in a blender until smooth, then sieve into a bowl.
Sticky Rhubarb Cake
This recipe makes a delicious cake that’s great for entertaining.
Ingredients
85g butter, 85g caster sugar, 2 eggs, 85g self raising flour, Pinch of salt, Milk, 450g rhubarb, 1 tbsp Demerara sugar
Topping –50g butter, 85g plain flour, 25g caster sugar
Method:
Heat the oven to Gas Mark 5/190 degrees C. Grease and line an 8’’ round cake tin.
Cream together the butter and the sugar, beat in the eggs and fold in the flour and salt. Add enough milk to give a dropping consistency.
Slice the rhubarb into 1’’ pieces and toss with the Demerara sugar.
Make the topping by rubbing the butter into the flour and stirring in the sugar.
Turn the cake mix into the tin and arrange the rhubarb on top. Sprinkle over the Demerara sugar and the topping mixture and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the cake feels firm on top
Image: ILoveMyPit
