The Darina Allen Column

Darina shares the joy of new season rhubarb: “ I've just had my first rhubarb of the year, a sublime bowl of roast rhubarb drizzled with Jersey pouring cream…” 

Every year in January and February, I crave the flavour of the first rhubarb after the 'fruitless' winter months.... Yes, I know that the shops are full of fruit but most apart from beautiful citrus, are under ripe, out of season fruits from the other side of the world with a fraction of the flavour they have in Summer. I certainly can't be bothered to spend money on strawberries in February...?
I used to be frightfully 'sniffy' about the early forced rhubarb but this year when I found some in the brilliant Village Greengrocer & Foodhall  in Castlemartyr, I fell on it and practically whooped with delight. I scooped up the pale pink petioles.... I've just learned that beautiful word petioles, apparently it's the correct term for what you and I call stalks....
Despite Brexit it had come all the way from the Rhubarb Triangle in Yorkshire, where it is lured out of its natural Winter hibernation in dark forcing sheds, principally around Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell.

In the pitch dark warm atmosphere the stalks grow faster than usual as the plant searches for the light it desperately needs to make chlorophyll. The sweet glucose produced in the plant, normally used to grow those large rhubarb leaves remains in the stalks resulting in a less sour flavour and a tender less fibrous texture than their semi feral cousin that is still struggling, valiantly to emerge from the cold winter soil in my garden.
I am looking forward to that too, but it'll be at least a month before the stalks are mature enough to harvest. Meanwhile, I'm loving the delicate less assertive flavour of forced rhubarb, grown in darkness in long low barn-like sheds and hand harvested by candlelight as the leaves unfurl, often by families who have passed the skill from one generation to another since the early eighteen hundreds.

Rhubarb is not the only vegetable (yes technically it is a vegetable), to benefit from early forcing, white asparagus, sea kale, chicory, and even dandelions are other examples.
Too late for this year, but you can actually do this in your own garden, by covering a couple of rhubarb 'stools' with a black plastic dustbin to exclude the light when the plant starts to emerge from the ground in December. Either way if you don't have a rhubarb plant, order a couple from your local garden centre and pop them into your garden or even your flower bed, or a half barrel....

Back to the kitchen again, so what to do with this beautiful rare treat?

Roast rhubarb is a revelation, super easy and super delicious. Remember this Winter rhubarb is sweeter, and I also think it cooks faster than the main crop, so you can reduce both sugar and cooking time.

I've also included a winter rhubarb crumble recipe and my mother’s rhubarb pie, a favourite from my family home in Culohill.

Roast rhubarb also makes a delicious filling for scones or a sponge with lots of softly whipped rosemary flavoured cream or how about a rhubarb Eton mess, with chunks or meringue, roast rhubarb and lots of rosewater cream, and then there's rhubarb fool... Too many suggestions for one article – almost need to do another piece. Perhaps when my garden rhubarb is ready to pick...

Meanwhile, dash out and buy some Winter rhubarb while the season lasts.

Roast Rhubarb with Jersey Cream
Years ago. I always just stewed rhubarb but I've become a huge fan of the sweet and intense flavour of roast rhubarb plus there's less chance of ending up with a pot of rhubarb sauce if you overcook it...
Serves 6

900g (2lb) rhubarb
200-250g (7-8oz) sugar
Jersey Cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 200?C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Slice the rhubarb into 2 1/2cm (1 inch) pieces and arrange in a single layer in a medium size oven proof dish or sauté pan. Scatter the sugar over the rhubarb and allow to macerate for a little while until the juice starts to run. Cover with the lid or a sheet of parchment and roast in the pre-heated oven for about 10 min, remove the covering and continue to roast for a further 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the stalks - until the rhubarb is just tender, careful it doesn't overcook.
Serve alone or with thick Jersey cream...

Cullohill Rhubarb Pie
This is a gem of a recipe – a real keeper. The pastry is made by the creaming method so people who are convinced that they suffer from 'hot hands' don't have to worry about rubbing in the butter. Serves 8-12

Pastry
225g (8oz) soft butter
50g (2oz) castor sugar
2 eggs, preferably free range
350g (12oz) white flour, preferably unbleached
Filling
900g (2lbs) sliced red rhubarb (about 1cm thick)
370g (7 - 12oz) granulated sugar depending on whether you are using forced or garden rhubarb
egg wash-made with one beaten egg and a dash of milk
castor sugar for sprinkling
To Serve
softly whipped cream
Barbados/ soft dark brown sugar

Tin, 18cm x 30.5cm x 2.5cm (7 x 12 x 1 inch) deep, or equivalent
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
First make the pastry. Cream the butter and sugar together by hand or in a food mixer (no need to over cream). Add the eggs one by one and beat for several minutes. Reduce speed and mix in the flour slowly. Turn out onto a piece of floured greaseproof paper, flatten into a round then wrap and chill. This pastry needs to be chilled for at least 2 hours otherwise it is difficult to handle.
To make the tart
Roll out the pastry 3mm (1/8 inch) thick approx., and use about 2/3 of it to line a suitable tin. Place the sliced rhubarb into the tart, sprinkle with sugar. Cover with a lid of pastry, seal edges, decorate with pastry leaves, egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until the apples are tender, approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour. When cooked cut into squares, sprinkle lightly with castor sugar and serve with softly whipped cream and Barbados sugar.

Rhubarb Crumble
Crumbles are everyone's favourite comfort food, vary the fruit according to the season.
Serves 6-8

1½ lb (700g) rhubarb
4ozs (110g) granulated sugar
1-2 tablespoons water
Crumble Topping:
4 ozs (110g) white flour, preferably unbleached
2 ozs (50g) cold butter
2 ozs (50g) castor sugar
1 oz (25g) chopped almonds or hazelnuts (optional)
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

2 pint (1.1L) capacity pie dish

Slice the rhubarb into 1 inch/2.5cm pieces, place into a pie dish and sprinkle with the sugar.

Rub the butter into the flour just until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs, add the sugar and cinnamon and chopped nuts if using. Sprinkle this mixture over the rhubarb in the pie dish. Bake in a preheated moderate oven 180°C/350°F/regulo 4, for 30-45 minutes or until the topping is cooked and golden. Serve with whipped cream and soft brown sugar.

HOT TIPS
Ballymaloe Cookery School Online is not quite the same as being here in person, but we've been getting a terrific reaction and lots of positive feedback. Every week we hold at least one online event, could be a live stream cookery demonstration, a cookalong, a fireside chat or a workshop with Rory, Rachel or myself.
We also record numerous videos throughout the seasons to share what our team are most passionate about – land and seashore foraging, tips on how to grow your own organic herbs, salads and vegetables in a tunnel or greenhouse, fruit tree pruning....Could be Fermenting, bread baking, cake baking....
People can subscribe for a one off event, for a month or a year. Members have the extra bonus of access to all the back catalogue of events that we have hosted since July 2020. There are over 40 to enjoy and learn from. To find out more about the membership service please visit www.ballymaloecookeryschool.online
Please find below a list of upcoming live stream demonstrations, cookalongs and fireside chats.
* Fireside Chat: Claudia Roden speaks to Rory O'Connell Tuesday 23rd Feb
* Afternoon Demonstration March 4th - Thursday 4th March
* Spring Foraging with Darina Allen - Friday 12th March
* Afternoon Demonstration March 15 - Monday 15th March
* Tuesday Night Dinner with Rachel Allen - Tuesday, 23rd March
* Homemade Butter, Yoghurt and Several Cheeses - Wednesday 28th March
(Ballymaloe Cookery School Online - Subscription Members Only)

www.cookingisfun.ie