Rhubarb and strawberry compote recipe

First time I ever bought and cooked with rhubarb was back in 2011. I successfully reproduced BobBobRicard  rhubarb martini. I still make those at home and they are very popular with my guests.

The other day I was about to make more, then  at the last minute I had a change
of heart.  I had some strawberries and I  thought it would be nice to combine both and make something spicy and  jam-like, since I run out of jam too.

Rhubarb is a funny ingredient, it’s not a fruit but a vegetable. Rhubarb  is a cool season, perennial plant that is very winter hardy and resistant to drought. Earliest records date back to 2700 BC in China where Rhubarb was cultivated for medicinal purposes known then for its purgative qualities,  an astringent tonic to the digestive system, when taken larger doses rhubarb acts as a very mild laxative. A planting of rhubarb was recorded in Italy in 1608  and later in Europe. In 1777 it was recorded
that an aphotecary in Banbury, Oxfordshire, started the  cultivation of rhubarb in England.  Now-a-days, various types of rhubarb grow in different parts of the world.  Rhubarb contains oxalate, which have been reported to cause poisoning when colossal  quantities of raw or cooked leaves are ingested.
Precautions for rhubarb gardening
  • Trim leaves from stalk immediately.
  • Don’t use stalks from frost bitten plants.
  • Wash the stalks well.

 

Rhubarb and strawberry compote recipe

 

Ingredients
·  95g caster sugar

·  150g chopped rhubarb
·  1 lemon, juiced
·  1 star anise
·  1 vanilla pod, halved and scraped
·  300g strawberries, cut into cubes
·  1 tsp pink peppercorns
Method
Place all of the
ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat cook until the rhubarb is al dente. Lower the heat and
simmer until the compote thickens. Remove from the heat and transfer to
sterilised jars to cool.

Serving suggestion:
cream, roasted strawberries  and simple sponge cake

roasted strawberries

Ingredients

400gr of strawberries
2 tbsp of granulated sugar
freshly grounded peppercorn

Method

pre heat the oven at 150C
Place the strawberries on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
Sprinkle over the sugar and season with lots of freshly ground black
pepper. Roast very slowly in the oven for 1½ hours. Remove from the oven
and set aside to cool.

This post was first published at Great British Chefs blog

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2 Comments

  1. Pasta Bites
    April 8, 2013 / 12:16 pm

    Delicious! I made rhubarb compote last night but your recipe is more comprehensive so will try it! will go with my home made granola 🙂

  2. April 9, 2013 / 2:09 pm

    Hi Fe, I enjoyed making and eating this compote. Should really make more of it soon. R