Rhubarb Crumble

[Shiewie]

Tried making Rhubarb Crumble during the weekend but was in a bit of a dilemma about the preparation of the rhubarb. Some recipes recommended cooking the rhubarb first for 10-15 minutes till soft while others said to just toss the rhubarb pieces with sugar and cover with the crumble topping.

Decided to cook the rhubarb first with some grated orange rind, freshly squeezed juice of an orange and sugar as I thought the skin was kind of hard. However, it got really mushy and watery very quickly and I ended up cooking it over low heat for quite while to thicken it as I didn't want the crumble topping to drown in the rhubarb soup.

It tasted fine but the rhubarb filling was still kind of mushy. Should I have cooked the rhubarb before topping it with the crumble? What do others do?

[jackal10]

Rhubarb will cook very quickly, and release a lot of liquid. You really don't want to cook it beforehand, and you will also need to cool the crumble quickly as soon as the topping is done.

[Shiewie]

Thanks jackal10! Guess I should have just followed the Delia recipe to the T instead of cross-checking with other recipes. Will try it again as soon as I get more rhubarb.

What about rhubarb tart? No pre-cooking of the rhubarb either?

[Andy Lynes]

I do tend to cook rhubarb first for a crumble for the very reason it releases a lot of water and you then have the opportunity to control how much of that liquid you want in the finished dish. I just cook it for a minute or so until it becomes tender but not mushy so I can drain it off and add back the quantitly of cooking liquor that I want. 10-15 minutes pre cooking is excessive. But I think either approach is valid, its just what suits you best and which result you prefer.

[jackal10]

Crumble has the advantage that the topping will adsorb a lot of the juice, especially if some of it is mixed with the fruit.

Tart depends what effect you want. For a pie, I don't pre-cook. For an open tart I tend to cook the rhubarb and the base seperately and assemble together cold or warm, unless there is something like frangipane to mop up the liquid.

I make a rather nice rhubarb and strawberry tart where I puree the rhubarb for the base, and top with sliced strawberries. Variations are to add custard (OK, creme anglais) to the rhubarb puree, or even set it with some gelatine.

Edited August 26, 2003 by jackal10 (log)

[rickster]

I seem to remember a recipe for rhubarb that involved bringing orange juice and/or sugar syrup to a boil, adding the rhubarb and then taking it off the heat and allowing it to steep for a few minutes. It softens the rhubarb and lets some flavor infuse without getting it too mushy. It still needs to be watched closely but you have more margin for error in timing since the rhubarb is not on the heat.

[Andy Lynes]

Have you seen that amazing rhubarb tart in "Canteen Cooking" by Marco Pierre White. Its a puff pastry base with hundreds and hundreds of wafer-thin slices of the fruit arranged in concentric circles on the top, then brushed with butter and sugar. Its cooked from raw for an hour, and inverted halfway through the cooking time to ensure the rhubarb caramelises. It looks fantastc, although I have never seen it offered on any of his menus.

[jackal10]

Another trick with rhubarb is to take thin slices lengthways (a potato peeler works) dust in icing sugar and put on a silpat or baking paper, then caramalise in a slow oven. Use for decoration

[Wolfert]

When I make a rhubarb tart, I wash the rhubarb, discard any leaves and trim the ends. (if the rhubarb is late season, old or thick, pull off the strings). With a very sharp knife I cut each stalk into 1-inch x 1/2-inch pieces then toss it with sugar in a glass or ceramic bowl then I cover and refrigerate it overnight.

The following day, I drain the rhubarb in a colander set over a large skillet; press firmly on the rhubarb to extract as much juice as possible then boill the juice over high heat

until it is syrupy and reduced to a few tablespoons, about 5 minutes. Cool and use it to glaze the drained rhubarb. I love the flavor of anise and orange zest with rhubarb so I add it now then fill a patially baked tart and finish the tart.

Edited August 26, 2003 by Wolfert (log)

[NHCountryGirl]

I'm not a professional pastry chef. But, I have never heard of cooking rhubarb first ! Think it would definitely add to the mush factor - yech!!

But, I also have never baked rhubarb without some other main ingredient, usually strawberries or peach. Here in the country, I just pick it fresh (in season) wash, strip any loose outside pieces, chop and toss into whatever recipe I'm preparing. I like to keep things simple. Family and friends always love it.

[Shiewie]

Thank you all for the helpful suggestions! Looks like I'll be experimenting with various rhubarb recipes for the next few weekends . Hmmm...rhubarb relish would be kind of nice too.

Marco-Pierre White's rhubarb tart sounds really delish. Found "Canteen Cuisine" in Amazon UK. Perhaps I'll order it once I get round to counting the number of cookbooks I have (I haven't dared to count them for some time now).

[Michael Laiskonis]

I, too, am intrigued by the MPW tart- almost a rhubarb tarte tatin! I only own White Heat- not really inspired by the recipes offered there, but flipping through it now and then sure does lift my spirits when I'm feeling burned out and beat up!

I love doing chips similar to the ones jackal10 describes above, though I poach them briefly in simple syrup, which will make them much more palatable in addition to merely pretty. I prefer to go in a very low oven (160-180ºF) and stop well short of 'caramelization'- it will taste bitter and nasty if taken too far! I also get the best results from bright pink, young and slender hothouse rhubarb.

I don't do tarts, crisps, or crumbles per se, but my favorite rhubarb preparation is versatile, can be used hot or cold, as a sauce, compote, filling... And it offers a complex sweet-tart flavor with a backbone from caramelized sugar, a tight and consistent texture, and a beautiful deep, rich color. Not just as a dessert component, it is amazing with foie gras, too!

I use rhubarb mostly early in the season, coincidentally, just as the best blood oranges are fading off (or at least, when they used to fade off- it sure seems as if the season gets longer every year). By adding the chopped (and I prefer peeled, as well) rhubarb to the lightly caramelized sugar, the moisture is released quickly, and the cooked sugar thickens and binds it somewhat. Late in the season, I've also used raspberry or strawberry juice, in place of blood orange, with pleasant results.

Rhubarb-Citrus Compote

YIELD: approx. 1#/500g

300g granulated sugar

water, as needed

500g rhubarb, washed, peeled, and chopped

juice and grated zest of one blood orange

1. In a medium non-reactive sauté pan, place sugar and water to moisten.

2. Over high heat, cook to a light caramel.

3. Add rhubarb to the pan and toss. The sugar will immediately sieze, but as it cooks, allow juices from the rhubarb to dissolve hardened bits of sugar. Reduce heat. Stirring occasionally to avoid scorching, cook until mixture is fairly dry.

4. Add orange zest and juice. Cook until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Cool and chill, or use warm, immediately.