Whereas apples and broccoli have grow to be fundamental—continuously on the grocery retailer cabinets year-round—rhubarb is a vegetable unicorn. It solely seems for a really brief and magical window. I am going to spot it out there for possibly a month and earlier than I do know it, I’ve missed it. That’s why I purchase bundles of it after I do occur to catch it, and I get proper to work. Not cooking it down in a pot with a cup of sugar, no: My favourite option to put together rhubarb for pies and truffles is roasting.
Roasting retains issues from getting soggy
My first time working with rhubarb was proper out of culinary college, making dozens of miniature strawberry and rhubarb tarts. It was really my first time consuming it too. We might roast the rhubarb along with strawberries to make these tarts; the filling tasted like nature’s bitter sweet. I used to be hooked on the stuff and I assumed all rhubarb desserts would have the identical vibrant pink shade and puckering chew as these tarts. This was not the case.
I’ve eaten some soggy rhubarb truffles and mushy pies since then, and I’ve puzzled why rhubarb might be giving everybody a lot hassle. Upon speaking to a buddy lately, I noticed that numerous of us are cooking their treasured spring crop in pots, primarily making compotes or jams, and then including them to truffles and pies. Whereas nonetheless scrumptious, cooking rhubarb this fashion results in coloration loss (muted pinks and browns) and, as a result of it doesn’t have a lot pure pectin, it turns a bit gloopy. However you may keep away from that destiny with a easy, and comparatively fast, roast within the oven.
Learn how to roast rhubarb
There are a number of alternative ways to do it relying in your desire.
Open roasting
My favourite manner, and the identical manner we did it within the bakery, is to cut up rhubarb into half-inch to full inch chunks, and add them to a bowl with lower strawberries. Add a pair tablespoons of sugar and toss all of it collectively. (You are able to do this with out the berries too.) Pour this combination straight onto a baking pan and unfold it out right into a single layer. Bake this for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F, or till the strawberries and rhubarb have little puddles of juice round them and barely browned edges. Permit them to chill utterly earlier than scraping them off.
What do you assume thus far?
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Lined roasting
Toss chopped rhubarb with sugar once more, however this time, pour all of it right into a casserole dish or one other kind of deep baking dish. Cowl the highest with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. Permit the dish to chill with the foil in place.
After eradicating the foil, the rhubarb continues to be vibrant pink and able to use.
Credit score: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
I favor the open roasting methodology as a result of this enables among the moisture to flee, and so the flavors grow to be extra concentrated. The shortage of moisture additionally permits the intense pink coloration to remain true, and even deepen, somewhat than leech away into the moisture. Personally, I believe the largest boon of this methodology is that the chunks of rhubarb don’t flip to absolute slush. The plant cooks and softens inside but additionally dries out barely on the perimeters, making a little bit of assist. You possibly can toss the bits right into a pie or cake batter and nonetheless discern the items on the opposite aspect.
Whether or not or not you resolve to roast, rhubarb is in season proper now, so profit from this festive plant when you can.
