RHUBARB

RHUBARB AND ELDERFLOWER PAVLOVA

A real seasonal showstopper! This dessert is not over-sweet like many pavlovas as the tartness of the rhubarb counteracts the meringue, and it has the addition of yoghurt. 

Serves 8

Ingredients  

For the rhubarb: 

• 5 sticks rhubarb  

• 4tbsp elderflower cordial  

For the creamy filling:  

• 400ml double cream 

• 5tbsp natural yoghurt  

• 2 tbsp rhubarb cooking juices  

For the pavlova:  

• 4 egg whites 

• 225g caster sugar - sieved to remove any lumps  

• 1 tsp elderflower vinegar or white wine vinegar or lemon juice 

• 1 tsp cornflour

• Vegetable oil  for greasing

Method  

• Preheat the oven to 200°C. 

• Prepare your rhubarb. Chop the sticks into equal pieces, mix with the elderflower cordial and tip into an ovenproof dish.

• Cover the rhubarb with foil and roast it for 10-15 minutes until it’s cooked through but still holds it’s shape. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 

• Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C. 

• Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper then brush with a little vegetable oil to make sure your meringue does not stick. 

• Whisk the egg whites until stiff and then add a teaspoon of sugar at a time, whisking between spoonfuls to ensure the sugar is incorporated into the egg white.  

• When all the sugar is mixed in, add the vinegar and cornflour, and mix a final time. 

• Divide the meringue onto the baking sheets and work into two equal circles.  

• Bake for 1 hour 15 mins then turn off the heat and leave the pavlovas to cool down in the oven to prevent excessive cracking. 

• Whip your cream to soft peaks and fold in the natural yoghurt and rhubarb cooking juices. 

• To serve, place one pavlova on a serving dish and spoon on the half the cream mixture and a third of the rhubarb, add the other pavlova layer and repeat with the rest of the cream and rhubarb. Drizzle over the remaining rhubarb cooking juices.

RHUBARB AND CUSTARD BRULEES

These are a great make-ahead pudding for when you have guests coming round. Both the crème brûlée and rhubarb can be made ahead, even the day before, and then to serve you simply grill or blow-torch the brûlées and top with rhubarb.

I love herby flavours with rhubarb so I gently heat the cream with bay and rosemary which complements the rhubarb really well. If you prefer more of a classic flavour combination, replace the herbs with a vanilla pod.

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the rhubarb:

• 400g rhubarb

• 1 tsp cornflour

• 1 tbsp water

• 50g sugar

• Half a lemon, juiced

For the brûlée:

• 500ml double cream

• 6 egg yolks

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 sprig rosemary

• 100g caster sugar  

Method

For the rhubarb

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C

• Chop up the rhubarb – I like to cut them into various sizes so they fit nicely into a ramekin or eared dish (pictured below).

• Mix the sugar with the cornflour and lemon juice. Coat the rhubarb and tip into a baking dish.

• Cover with foil and roast for 12-15 minutes so that the rhubarb is cooked but still holding its shape.

• Leave to cool and then refrigerate until needed.

For the brûlées

• Gently heat the cream with the bay leaf and rosemary until just boiling then remove and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 150°C.

• Beat the eggs yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy.

• Strain your cream to remove the herbs and reheat it.

• Boil a kettle of water.

• Stir the cream into your whipped eggs and sugar. It should thicken.

• Pour custard into your ramekins, so they are two-thirds full, and bake in a Bain Marie – this is when they are half-submerged in a dish filled with boiling water.

• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the custards are just set - there should still be a little wobble to them.

• Leave to cool and then refrigerate until needed.

 To serve

• Sprinkle caster sugar over your cold crème brûlées and either blow-torch to caramelise the top. If you don’t have a blowtorch, place them until a very hot grill and watch like a hawk so they don’t burn!

• Leave the top to cool and harden

• Top with the glossy rhubarb

STEWED RHUBARB with orange

This is a great thing to have in the fridge – simply add to yoghurt and for a delicious breakfast or quick pudding.

Serves 4  

Ingredients

• 300g rhubarb

• 50g sugar

• 1 orange, zested and juiced

Method

• Chop the rhubarb into thumb-size pieces.

• Mix the orange, zest, juice and sugar together and coat with the rhubarb before transferring to pan

• Simmer gently for around 10 minutes until the rhubarb is cooked but is still just holding its shape.

• Allow to cool before refrigerating.