I'm the kind of person who goes to sleep eagerly anticipating breakfast. I've been known to begin debating the relative merits of Saturday morning pancakes/waffles/French toast over Friday morning's porridge. And on more than one occasion, after lights out, I've cheerfully exclaimed to my half-awake counterpart that "I can't wait to eat Honey Nut Cheerios tomorrow!"
Right now, for example, it's 12:33 a.m. and I'm picturing my usual oatmeal with a pink rhubarb swirl and a handful of toasted almonds. The stuff dreams are made of, I tell you.
Next time, I'll be back with a particularly delicious use for your rhubarb compote. In the meantime, don't hesitate to start stirring it into your yogurt, spreading it on toast or dreaming up other applications.
Citrus Rhubarb Compote
500 grams rhubarb (4 medium stalks)
150-200 grams sugar (I used raw cane sugar)
1/2 lemon
1/2 lime
1/2 orange
Remove the ends of your rhubarb stalks, including all leaves. Wash each stalk thoroughly before slicing crosswise into 1-1.5 cm (0.5-inch) slices. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and zest from the lemon, lime and orange. Rub the mixture together with your fingertips to release the citrus oils. Juice the three fruits and add the liquid to the sugar/zest mixture.
Heat the saucepan over medium heat, stirring periodically, until the
sugar is melted. Add the chopped rhubarb, cover and simmer until soft.
If the mixture is too runny for your liking (this will depend a lot on
how juicy your citrus was), use a slotted spoon to move the cooked
rhubarb slices to a bowl. Increase the heat and boil the remaining
liquid, uncovered, until it thickens into a sauce. Pour the sauce over
the cooked rhubarb and stir carefully to combine, before setting the
mixture aside to cool completely.
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Ginger Rhubarb Compote
500 grams rhubarb (4 medium stalks)
150-200 grams sugar (I used raw cane sugar)
40 grams balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
Remove the ends of your rhubarb stalks, including all leaves. Wash each
stalk thoroughly before slicing crosswise into 1-1.5 cm (0.5-inch)
slices. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, stir together the sugar, balsamic vinegar and ginger. Heat the saucepan over medium heat, stirring periodically, until the sugar is melted. Add the chopped rhubarb, cover and simmer until soft.
If the mixture is too runny for your liking, use a slotted spoon to move the cooked rhubarb slices to a bowl. Increase the heat and boil the remaining liquid, uncovered, until it thickens into a sauce. Pour the sauce over the cooked rhubarb and stir carefully to combine, before setting the mixture aside to cool completely.
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Notes: Nine times out of ten, I'd pick the brooding ginger version over its chipper citrus cousin, but you know your taste buds best.
Sources: The Citrus Rhubarb Compote recipe is my own creation. The Ginger Rhubarb Compote is a version of the Balsamic Rhubarb Compote posted on Epicurious.com, originally published in Gourmet, April 1995.Labels: Desserts
Citrus Rhubarb Compote