Serving suggestion
When picking fresh rhubarb, look for firm, crisp, and brightly coloured stalks. Thinner stalks are more tender and result in a better texture for your compote.
Cut the rhubarb into evenly sized pieces to ensure even cooking and a consistent texture throughout your compote.
After baking, allow the crumble to rest for a few minutes to give the filling time to set. This will also allow the flavours to meld together, resulting in a more delicious dessert.
Rhubarb
|
500 g |
---|---|
Potato starch
|
½ tbsp |
Ground cinnamon
|
1 tsp |
Caster sugar
|
4 tbsp |
Rolled oats
|
53 g |
---|---|
Flour
|
90 g |
Caster sugar
|
45 g |
Butter
|
125 g |
Vanilla cream
|
500 ml |
Spring and early summer – that's the season to relish the humble rhubarb. What better way to enjoy the tart flavour of rhubarb than in a crowd-pleasing, easy-to-make crumble? As an afternoon treat, served with whipped cream, custard, or vanilla ice cream, this crumble is sure to bring back sweet memories of summers past. Sugar and cinnamon help bring out the rhubarb's mild yet enticing taste, while the crumble adds a buttery crisp texture. The trick is to maximise the contrast in flavour and texture – letting the crispy crumble develop deep colour and flavour while the rhubarb softens and cooks through completely.
If you are lucky enough to have harvested your own rhubarb, the first step is to remove the big leafy end. The leaf is actually poisonous, so don't worry about wasting it. Rinse the rhubarb under running water, then cut off the bottom end and discard it. Now, you have the choice of removing the outer 'skin' of the stalk: cutting a small slit at one end just below the surface and pulling the skin off, then repeating until the rhubarb is peeled. This step is not essential, though, as cooking will soften the rhubarb's fibres. Finally, dice the rhubarb by cutting crosswise and working your way along the stalk.
A first step to making the perfect crumble topping is to make sure that the ingredients are properly combined – you don't want any dry, unbuttered oats in there. This is best achieved by using your hands to squeeze and rub the butter together with the grains, flour and sugar. Using a food processor, you risk mincing the crumble too finely, ending up with a solid biscuit instead of a textured crumble on top of your rhubarb. Some recommend freezing the crumble topping for a bit before spreading it, to retain the crumbly texture. You can also try adding chopped almonds or hazelnuts to your crumble topping for extra crunch and flavour.