Рецепт Stewed Rhubarb and Figs with Chestnut Ginger Cream
Now. On to fruit. My latest culinary dalliances have featured fruit in unexpected ways–at least unexpected for me. Stewing and poaching has become my thing and I’ve been gorging on rhubarb and figs and pears and apples, all fruits that taste better cooked in a bit of syrup and spices. Okay, rhubarb is technically not a fruit but it’s usually eaten in combination with fruit and I have yet to see it alongside a steak and potato. So let’s call it a fruit.
We used to have a rhubarb plant in our garden when I was growing up, and my mom made some some fabulous cobblers and jams with it. Since leaving home, though, I’d mostly forgotten about rhubarb until I came across a recipe for poached rhubarb in Gordon Ramsey’s book Cooking for Friends. I’m a fan of Gordon, despite his shouting and pan flinging, but I picked up the book because the photos are shot by Ditte Isager, one of my all time favourite photographers.
Gordon’s recipe is for poached rhubarb with ginger ice cream. I don’t have an ice cream maker; if I did I’d probably weight three hundred pounds because ice cream is all I would eat. Instead, I mixed crème fraîche with sugar, ginger, and ground chestnuts to make a similarly rich and creamy topping that balances out the tartness of the rhubarb. Of course, you can eat it with ice cream if crème fraîche is difficult for you to find, or even with Greek yogurt–which makes it not only a great dessert but also the Breakfast of Champions!
Stewed Rhubarb and Figs with Chestnut Ginger Cream
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- Poached rhubarb and figs:
- 400g rhubarb
- 6 figs, cut in half with stems removed
- 25og demerara sugar
- 500ml water
- 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Chestnut Ginger Cream:
- 100ml crème fraîche
- 50g chestnuts, ground
- 1 tablespoon demerara sugar
- 10g fresh ginger, finely grated
Directions:
1) Trim the tops and ends of the rhubarb and cut into lengths of about 2 inches/5cm. Put the sugar, water, vanilla pod and seeds in a saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer for a few minutes, until the syrup has thickened slightly. Immerse the rhubarb and figs and poach until the rhubarb is just tender but still holding shape. Remove rhubarb and figs with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
2) Boil the syrup for about 10 minutes, until reduced into a syrupy sauce. Remove vanilla pod and cinnamon stick and pour sauce over rhubarb and figs. Leave to cool completely and then chill in the fridge.
3) Grind the chestnuts in a chopper or food processor. Put crème fraîche in a small bowl and sprinkle with the chestnuts and tablespoon of sugar. Gently fold in ginger. When ready to serve, top rhubarb with chestnut ginger cream. The rhubarb can be kept in the fridge for up to a week before serving. Extra ground chestnuts can be used as a garnish.
chestnut,
cream,
figs,
ginger,
rhubarb