Posts Tagged ‘rhubarb’

Rhubarb & vanilla jam

Friday, January 14th, 2011

* 1kg rhubarb , weighed after trimming, cut into 3cm chunks
* 1kg jam sugar (or 1kg caster sugar plus 1 x 8g sachet pectin – we used Tate & Lyle)
* 2 vanilla pods , halved lengthways
* juice 1 lemon

1. Put a small plate in the freezer. Put the rhubarb into a preserving pan or your largest saucepan with the sugar and halved vanilla pods. Heat gently, stirring, until all the sugar has dissolved, then squeeze in the lemon juice and increase the heat.
2. Boil for about 10 mins, skimming off the scum as you go (the fruit should be soft). Test for setting point by spooning a little onto your chilled plate. After 1-2 mins, push your finger through the jam – if the surface wrinkles it is ready, if not, keep cooking for 2-min intervals, testing in between. (Or if you have a sugar thermometer it should reach 105C)
3. Once the jam is ready, let it cool for about 15 mins before ladling into warm sterilised jars and sealing. Will keep for 6 months in a cool, dark place.

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Pork with black pudding & roasted rhubarb

Friday, January 14th, 2011

* 2 pork fillets , about 350g/12oz each
* 250g black pudding , skinned and cut into slices
* 12 thin rashers streaky bacon
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 1 tbsp clear honey
* 300g rhubarb , cut into 5cm lengths on the diagonal
* 200ml vegetable stock
* 2 rounded tbsp crème fraîche

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Split the pork fillets lengthwise almost in half and open out like a book. Bash with a rolling pin to flatten, then sprinkle on all sides with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Fill the pork with the black pudding, folding the meat back over it to enclose it.
2. Stretch the bacon rashers with the back of a knife, then wrap around the pork fillets, tucking the ends under the pork where possible. Transfer to a large roasting tin, drizzle with the oil, then roast for 30 mins.
3. Meanwhile, heat the honey in a pan, then toss the rhubarb in the honey. Add to the roasting tin, then return to the oven for 10-12 more mins until the rhubarb is tender and the bacon nicely browned. Transfer the pork and rhubarb to a warm plate and keep warm while you make the sauce.
4. Set the tin on the hob and add the stock. Bring to the boil, stirring to scrape all the pan juices from the base of the tin. Bubble for a few mins, then stir in the crème fraîche and whisk until it has dissolved into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Cut the pork into slices and serve with the rhubarb and a little sauce poured over. Serve the remaining sauce separately.

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Rhubarb Cooking Tips

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

Rhubarb Cooking Tips

• Rhubarb is rarely eaten raw. To prepare, first remove all the leaves, rinse and pat dry. Trim the ends and cut into 1-inch chunks. If it is stringy, just remove the tough strings as you would with celery. However, the strings will usually break down during the cooking process.

• Stew or bake with a little water and plenty of sugar to combat the tartness.

• Rhubarb can quickly cook down into a syrupy liquid, so keep an eye on it if you need it to retain some texture for specific recipes.

• If you sweeten rhubarb after it is cooked, you will need less sweetener.

• Generally, the redder the stalk, the less sweetener is needed.

• Rhubarb is also easily canned.

• Hothouse rhubarb should not have it, but rhubarb grown in the field often has tough strings running down the stalks, much like older celery. These strings should be removed before cooking.

• Field-grown rhubarb will have a more predominant flavor than hothouse.

• One pound of raw rhubarb will yield about 3 cups of chopped raw fruit or 2 cups chopped cooked fruit.

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