Amsterdam Restaurant Blog - May: rhubarb-tastic

When I was a kid, I remember eating rhubarb and apple crumbles that made my mouth shiver. You know what I mean? Sort of dry like red wine and spinach (they probably all have the same tannins, although a quick Google search of ‘rhubarb tannins’ is inconclusive). I think my appreciation of rhubarb stopped right there. I couldn’t get past the dry-crumble effect.

But now, oh my god, NOW… it’s like I’m having rhubarb cravings or something. (And no, there’s absolutely no way AT ALL that I could be pregnant. Just in case you were wondering.) I’ve not only been putting my re-discovered rhubarb into desserts, but also into savoury dishes and even drinks. It’s more flexible than an olympic gymnast.

And lo, here are the results:

1. Rhubarb bellini – I tried a few versions of this, involving stewed rhubarb + prosecco + assorted liqueurs, and we found the best combination to be with Cointreau. For some reason Nnennia looks like she’s sprouting out of the champagne glass – result!

2. Rhubarb and ginger soufflé – this was my Hidden Kitchen spring dessert, adapted from a recipe by Jamie Oliver. I was SO PROUD to turn out eight perfectly risen soufflés… even if I did forget to give people a spoon to eat it with second time round.

3. Rhubarb and plum relish – as well as the fruit, this relish involves chilli, star anise and cinnamon, so it’s much like a spicy chutney. I ate it with speklapjes, in the absence of a proper big piece of roasted pork belly as the creative people at Ottolenghi suggested in the cook book. I had quite a lot of the relish left over, so I put it in a cheese sarnie the next day for lunch. Seriously, it was no ordinary kaas broodje.

May: rhubarb-tastic

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