Five of our most popular rhubarb recipes to use while it's still in season

We love rhubarb, but it's not just for crumbles or tarts. Here are some of our best recipes using one of our favourite seasonal ingredients

Rhubarb is one of our favourite things to cook at this time of year and here's how we cook it. 

Rhubarb Eton mess

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

A seasonal twist on a classic, this dessert is easy to put together and a real crowd-pleaser

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 350g rhubarb

• 2 tbsp caster sugar

• 3-4 tbsp water

• 300ml double cream

• 1 packet of meringue nests or 2 large Italian style meringues

• zest of 1 orange

Method

1. Trim the rhubarb and cut into short pieces about 1 inch long. Place in a small pan with water and sugar and cook in a medium high heat until the rhubarb has lost its shape and become like a sort of thick compote. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl whisk the cream until thick and forming gentle peaks with your whisk. Be very careful not to over whisk; you want a nice softly whisked cream and not something on its way to butter.

3. Break up the meringue with your hands and combine with the cream, gently using a large spoon.

4. When the rhubarb has cooled, carefully swirl into the cream and meringue mixture and serve either in a large serving platter or individually with a little grated orange zest on top.

Strawberry and rhubarb pavlova

Crisp meringue and sweet cream with sweet fresh strawberries and rhubarb roasted in orange and honey - a match made in heaven

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 15 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 45 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 3 eggs

• 150g caster sugar

• 1 tsp white vinegar

• 2 tsp vanilla essence

• 600g strawberries

• a bunch of rhubarb, about 400g

• 1 orange

• 1 tbsp runny honey

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Separate the eggs. Whisk the whites until they are stiff with nice peaks. With your mixer still running at high speed, gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time until you have a glossy, stiff mixture. Do not over whip it though, you want a creamy, smooth mixture with stiff, glossy peaks. Just before the meringue is ready, add the vinegar and mix that through.

2. Heat your oven to 120°C. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Spread half of the meringue mixture onto each, forming discs about 25cm in diameter. Bake for two hours and then turn off the oven. Use a wooden spoon to hold the oven door slightly ajar and leave the meringue in there until the oven is completely cool.

3. Hull and quarter half of the strawberries. Add them to a pan with the lemon juice and one teaspoon of caster sugar. Cook over a medium heat until the strawberries are soft, and the juices reduce down to a runny jam-like consistency. Take the pan off the heat and allow the compote to cool completely.

4. Trim the rhubarb and cut it into 3cm long pieces. Toss it in the zest and half the juice of the orange, along with a tablespoon of honey. Bake the rhubarb in your oven at 180°C for about fifteen minutes, then remove it from the tray and low it to cool. If you like, you can bake the rhubarb at the same time as the meringue, just give it about thirty minutes at that lower temperature until it is soft and cooked through but still holding its shape.

5. Whip the cream along with two teaspoons of caster sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla essence. Wash the strawberries, cutting some in half, keeping the stalks attached. These are for the top of your pavlova. Hull and slice the rest.

6. Place one meringue on a serving platter. Spread generously with the Chantilly cream, and add the roasted rhubarb. Add the top layer of meringue, spreading that with the last of the cream. Now spoon over the strawberry sauce. Pile on the sliced strawberries, top off with the halved berries, and if you fancy it some fresh blackberries or flaked almonds for decoration.

7. You can prepare most of the elements for this dessert ahead of time. If you wish, bake the meringue, roast the rhubarb, and make the strawberry compote the night before you need the pavlova. You can then whip the cream, prepare the fresh fruit, and assemble the pavlova just before you are ready to serve it. Do not leave this dessert to stand for too long before serving it though, or the meringue will lose its crisp texture.