rhubarb & rosemary rumble

The woody, pine-y aroma of rosemary could be thought an unwelcome addition to this pudding but, trust me, it pairs beautifully with the softly stewed rhubarb stalks. Rosemary is surprisingly subtle and even makes the rhubarb a little sweeter, probably by using its eerie herb voodoo. Serve with a shameful amount of toasted marshmallow custard- please see recipe for custard on our toasted marshmallow ice cream page.

 

° 500g rhubarb, chopped into smallish chunks
° 100g golden caster sugar 
° 20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
° 2 sprigs of rosemary
° 180g plain flour
° 110g unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened 
° 110g demerara sugar
° toasted marshmallow custard.

1 / Weigh the rhubarb into a pan and cover with the caster sugar, both juices and the rosemary. Pop on a lid and simmer on a very low heat for 15 minutes. When the rhubarb is soft (but not mushy), discard
the rosemary and pour into a 20cm square baking dish. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4.

2 / To make the crumble topping, rub together the flour and butter with your fingers until soft, then add the demerara sugar and mix through until it resembles a fine sand.

3 / Sprinkle the crumble over the rhubarb and bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and golden and the filling is bubbling away underneath. Serve covered with toasted marshmallow custard.