I harvested some more Rhubarb this week so what to do with it?

Well I posted some to my sister much to the amusement and envy of her co workers. I even had to go and harvest some more to pay the post office rhubarb tax. I had never heard of this but the ladies at the post office told me it was true. They were very excited that I paid hmm..

This is my sister receiving her rhubarb. The box must have been torn in the battle with her co workers.

Simon Hopkinson is another of the cooks/writers on our list of the only cook books you will ever need. His roast chicken will be the topic of a future post. His Rhubarb Crumble is from The Good Cook and is with out doubt the best crumble recipe ever. Last time I made this it was on a Monday and when we ate the last of it on Thursday the crumble was still perfect crunchy and crumbly. No idea how something this yummy lasted 4 days but there you go. Lindsay from work and her mahjong girlfriends concur as they have not stopped raving about it since I shared the recipe with Lindsay along with a bunch of rhubarb. Mind you fresh home grown organic rhubarb helps.

Simon is most definite about this recipe. ADD NO BITS. no nuts, no oats, no spice, NO BITS. I agree. Screw with perfection at your peril.

Ingredients

For the crumble mixture

• 250g/9oz cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

• 400g/14oz plain flour

• 200g/7oz golden caster sugar

• pinch of salt

For the filling

• 700g/1½lb rhubarb, trimmed, chopped into 2.5cm/1in pieces

• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

• ½ lemon juice only

• knob of unsalted butter

To serve

• Guernsey cream

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Place all the ingredients for the crumble mixture in a large bowl.
3. Rub the butter into the flour, sugar and salt, lifting and dropping the mixture lightly through your fingers.
4. Pile the rhubarb into a buttered earthenware dish. Sprinkle over with the sugar, pour over the lemon juice and distribute the flakes of butter over the fruit.
5. Cover the fruit with the crumble mixture, sprinkle over a little extra golden caster sugar. Place into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden on top and the jammy juices are oozing up around the edges of the dish.
6. Serve with lovely and thick Guernsey cream.

This is what it looks like straight out of the oven

Remember NO BITS.

Cheers

Franky