6 ways to enjoy rhubarb

Because there's more to rhubarb than crumble!

In the depths of February, when seasonal fruit is a little thin on the ground, could there be a more welcome sight than the neon pink stalks of forced rhubarb? And fabulous though a rhubarb crumble is, there is so much more to this versatile fruit (technically a vegetable, I think? Probably.)

Rhubarb marries well with spices - vanilla, cinnamon and ginger all work well here. It's also a perfect partner for orange. My favourite way to cook it is to roast it in the oven (about 20 minutes at 160C should do the trick), although it can also be poached on the stovetop - either way, it tends to release a fair bit of liquid, so drain it well after cooking - the juices can be reduced down to a thick syrup if you like.

With a cake

The rhubarb in the picture was actually destined for a cake. I've said before that I don't bake much and so I tend to stick to Nigella's trusty Victoria sponge. It's foolproof. In the summer, I sandwich the cakes together with jam, berries and whipped cream but for my husband's February birthday, I like to use whipped cream and rhubarb for a more seasonal variation. I roast 400g rhubarb, cut into 3cm chunks with a tablespoon of sugar and the juice of half an orange. (The rhubarb still tastes quite sharp so do use 2tbsp of sugar if you prefer it sweeter - I quite like the contrast with the sweetness of the cream and the cake.)

I've searched high and low for that recipe online with no luck, but it's from her How to be a Domestic Goddess book. The trick seems to be replacing 25g of the self raising flour with cornflour. And adding a little milk to get the required dropping consistency. I hear Mary Berry is quite good at baking and otherwise her Victoria sponge recipe is very similar.

Another option would be to serve the rhubarb alongside Nigella's easy almond cake. (Nigella suggests a ring shaped tin for this - I don't have one so just used an ordinary springform cake tin and it worked fine, it just needed a bit longer in the oven.)

Mackerel

Rhubarb doesn't have to always be for dessert. Roasted with a little sugar, it makes a great accompaniment to grilled or pan fried mackerel fillets. The sharpness of the rhubarb is a brilliant foil for the oiliness of the fish.

Roast pork

As above for mackerel, roasted rhubarb also makes an interesting alternative to apple sauce alongside some roast pork.

For breakfast

Roasted or poached rhubarb, either plain or with vanilla or cinnamon, and either way made with a tbsp or two of caster sugar, can be strained and dolloped onto porridge or stirred into Greek yoghurt (with or without granola). A few toasted flaked almonds scattered over the top would be a delicious addition too.

With custard

A classic combo and with good reason. Cook your rhubarb as above and swirl through custard - it looks pretty served in glasses but tastes great however you present it!

In a crumble

Having said rhubarb doesn't have to be about crumble, it has to be said that a good rhubarb crumble is hard to beat! Cover your roasted rhubarb with a topping made by rubbing 75g each of plain white flour and wholemeal flour into 75g cubed unsalted butter, cubed; when it looks like breadcrumbs then stir in 75g caster sugar and 3tbsp rolled oats. You might like some ginger in with the rhubarb too. Cook at 180C for about 35-40 mins until the top is golden and crisp.

So there are my ideas for different ways to enjoy rhubarb this season. What do you think? Can you see yourself trying it for breakfast or alongside some fish or meat? Or will you be sticking to a crumble?