Why Rhubarb Earns Its Place on the Spring Table

There is a short, generous window in the British year when rhubarb arrives in the shops looking almost too pretty to cook: slender stems the colour of a summer sunset, sold in bundles that feel pleasantly weighty for their size. Forced rhubarb from the Yorkshire sheds comes first, pale and tender from growing in the dark, followed by the sturdier outdoor crop as the days stretch out. Both are worth your attention.

What makes rhubarb so useful in a spring kitchen is its acidity. After a winter of heavy puddings, that bright, mouth-watering sourness is exactly what we want, especially on an evening when the heating is still on and there is a chill in the air. It also cuts neatly through butter, sugar and cream, which is why a crumble is such a natural home for it. A crumble is forgiving, too. If your fruit is a little more or less tart than expected, you simply adjust the sugar and carry on.

Choosing and Preparing the Stems

You will want roughly 700g to 800g of trimmed rhubarb for a dish that serves six. Thin stems are tender and need no peeling; thick, coarse ones can be stringy, so strip away any tough outer fibres with a small knife before you start. Cut the stems into lengths of about 3cm, keeping them roughly even so they cook at the same rate.

• Toss the pieces with 100g of caster sugar for forced rhubarb, or 140g for outdoor stems, which are sharper.
• Add the finely grated zest of an orange and a tablespoon of cornflour, then stir well.
• Leave the fruit in the bowl for 20 minutes. It will release a good deal of pink juice, and this is the key to a crisp topping rather than a soggy one.
• Drain that juice into a small pan and simmer it for three or four minutes until syrupy, then pour it back over the fruit.

This small extra step concentrates the flavour and stops the crumble from turning into a swamp. It is one of those kitchen skills that quietly improves almost every fruit pudding you make.

The Oat and Ginger Topping

Oats give a crumble a nutty, slightly chewy character that plain flour alone cannot manage, and ginger flatters rhubarb beautifully. Ground ginger brings warmth in the background; a knob of stem ginger, chopped small, adds little pockets of heat and sweetness.

• 150g plain flour
• 100g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 75g demerara sugar
• 60g porridge oats
• 40g stem ginger, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• A pinch of fine salt

Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs, then stir through the sugar, oats, both gingers and the salt. Work quickly and stop while there are still visible clumps; those clumps are what give you crisp, buttery ridges. If your hands are warm, freeze the butter for ten minutes and grate it in on the coarse side of a box grater instead. A tablespoon of flaked almonds scattered over the top is a fine addition if you have them.

Assembling and Baking

Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, gas mark 5) and let it come fully up to temperature before the dish goes in. Tip the rhubarb and its syrup into a buttered baking dish of about 1.5 to 2 litres, spreading it level.

Spoon the topping over in an even layer, but resist pressing it down. Scatter it loosely and leave the surface uneven, so steam can escape and the edges catch and caramelise. Set the dish on a baking tray to catch any bubbles, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

It is ready when the topping is deep golden and the juices are bubbling up thickly around the sides. If the top is colouring faster than the fruit is softening, move the dish to a lower shelf rather than covering it with foil, which would trap steam and undo all your good work. When it comes out, leave it to rest for ten minutes; the juices will settle and thicken, and you will not burn your tongue on the first spoonful.

Small Skills, Better Puddings

• Thicken the fruit: a tablespoon of cornflour, or a little ground arrowroot, keeps the filling glossy rather than watery.
• Keep the butter cold: warm butter makes a paste, cold butter makes crumbs.
• Sweeten late: taste a raw piece of rhubarb and adjust the sugar accordingly — outdoor stems vary enormously.
• Rest before serving: ten minutes out of the oven makes a surprising difference to the texture.

Serving, Storing and Ringing the Changes

Hot from the oven, this wants proper custard, or a jug of double cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream that melts into the gap between fruit and crust. Cold leftovers are excellent the next morning with thick yoghurt and a drizzle of honey. Keep any that remains covered in the fridge for up to two days, and reheat it at 160°C for fifteen minutes to bring the topping back to life. You can also freeze the assembled, unbaked crumble and bake it from frozen, adding ten minutes to the time.

Once you are confident with the method, treat it as a template. A handful of strawberries added in June, a few gooseberries in July, or a chopped apple in with the rhubarb all work well. Swap the ginger for cardamom, or add a crack of black pepper to the fruit for a gentle heat. The crumble is one of the most adaptable puddings in the British repertoire, and rhubarb in spring is where it shines brightest.