Rhubarb is one of my favourite fruits and as a very inpatient person trying to eat more locally and seasonally forced rhubarb is a real treat if a bit pricey. I bought and cooked this Rhubarb at a farm shop after a fab afternoon at the Yorkshire sculpture park a couple of weeks ago when spring seemed to be in the air. Since then we have had some freezing snowy snaps (and a sneaky holiday to Cuba for some sun) but with the clocks changing this weekend and my bulbs popping up I’m hoping spring will be coming back soon.
Forced Rhubarb is deliciously fresh, delicate and shocking pink so I didn’t want to mess with it too much; I wanted to cook it in a way that the colour and texture remain in tact to celebrate this fab ingredient for the short period we have it for. This recipe is similar to something we served at our wedding last year – we had a trio of deserts one of which was cardamom poached Rhubarb so I thought it would be fun to recreate it.
Cardamom and Rose Poached Rhubarb
- 3 sticks of forced rhubarb
- 50g of sugar
- 15 cardamom pods
- 1 tbsp rose water
Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees.
Trim the Rhubarb into 2 inch lengths and arrange in an ovenproof dish.
Bash the cardamom pods so that the flavour can get out add to a pan with the sugar and 250ml of water and simmer over a low heat until the sugar melts then continue to simmer over a low heat for 10 mins so the flavour of the cardamom can infuse. Remove from the heat and add the rose water.
Pour the syrup over the Rhubarb and place in the oven for 15-20 mins until the Rhubarb is soft but still retaining its shape.
The Rhubarb and Syrup is delicious on its own, with Thick Greek yoghurt, ice cream or meringues.
Fruits, Roots & Shoots 