Simple Poached Rhubarb
So simple and so tasty. This is what I do with most of my rhubarb. You get lovely poached fruit to eat on your porridge in the mornings - and delicious rhubarb cordial to drink (with or without gin!)
100g granulated sugar
250ml boiling water
500 rhubarb (forced or green)
Boil a kettle of water and then weigh out 100g of sugar.
Pour 250ml of boiling water into a measuring jug and then add the sugar and give it a good stir to encourage the sugar to dissolve.
While the sugar is dissolving, wash and cut up your rhubarb. I like to cut the rhubarb stalks into pieces that are all the same length (say 3cm). This is necessary but it makes it easier and more pleasing to then arrange the rhubarb into the bottom of a pan (it needs to be one with a lid.
Arrange the rhubarb pieces so they are lying flat over the bottom of a pan (ideally only one layer deep)
By now, your sugar should have dissolved and the sugar syrup won’t be too hot anymore. Pour the luke warm sugar syrup over the rhubarb - ideally you want the rhubarb to be just covered by the sugar syrup.
Put the pan over a medium heat and wait until the syrup is simmering. Turn the heat down and simmer gently for around 2 minutes. Be careful - you don’t want to overcook the rhubarb as it will then all fall apart.
When the rhubarb is just starting to soften (check by poking it with a sharp knife) then turn the heat off and put a lid on. The remaining heat will gently poach the rhubarb so it cooks through.
Strain off all or some of the rhubarb-flavoured syrup and use as a drinking cordial
Eat the rhubarb on pavlovas or tarts, over ice cream, porridge or anything else you fancy.
