Simple Poached Rhubarb
Although Rhubarb is a vegetable, many a frequent time it finds its place proudly on a Dessert plate. There are numerous ways of preparing or enjoying Rhubarb but the simplest and easiest one is Poached Rhubarb. Poaching transforms this fibrous tart veggie into a luscious silky delight.
Poached Rhubarb – How is it made?
Although it is a simple and straight-forward process, it is very easy to overcook Rhubarb. The trick is to cook them just until they are still able to hold their shape and not turn into a lumpy mess. Also, as they cook, the stalks will lose some colour and appear dull. To brighten them, I add a thick slice of beetroot to the poaching liquid.
Begin by boiling a mixture of water and sugar along with the beetroot till it begins to turn syrupy. Take it off the heat and add the Rhubarb batons (cut the Rhubarb stalks into 2-4 inch long batons) and leave them in the syrup as it cools just until they soften but still hold their shape. Using a slotted spoon, take out the batons and let them cool completely before refrigerating.
Once cooled completely, these can be refrigerated in an air-tight jar for upto a week. Use the Poached Rhubarb as a topping on Puddings, Ice-creams, Waffles/ Pan-cakes etc. Do check out how I paired the Poached Rhubarb with my Rhubarb Panna-cotta.
And if you thought this is good only as a sweet pairing/ topping, you are mistaken because it pairs well with savoury dishes like roast-pork. While the recipe I have shown is a very basic one, you can make it your own by bringing in your own flavours to it based on the pairings.
Swap the sugar with another sweetner like honey and bring in spices like vanilla, cardamom, cloves and star-anise and even swap the water for Orange juice. And for savoury poached rhubarb, poach the rhubarb in white wine and sugar with spices like star-anise.
Poached Rhubarb
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 250 gms Sugar
- 250 ml Water (see notes)
- 400 gms Rhubarb (cleaned & cut into batons of uniform lengths of 2-4 inches)
Optional Ingredient
- 1 slice Beetroot
Instructions
- Mix the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil till it turns syrupy. Add the beetroot while the syrup is boiling.
- Take it off the heat and add the Rhubarb batons and leave them in the syrup as it cools just until they soften but still hold their shape.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the rhubarb batons from the syrup and serve or alternately refrigerate until required
Notes
- This is a very basic recipe of Poached Rhubarb. Feel free to flavour it as per your preference maybe with Vanilla or other assorted spices like cloves, cardamom, star anise or even swap the water for Orange juice
- For savoury pairing, poach it in white wine, sugar and spices like star-anise
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