rhubarb – Scandelights

Updated: My Perfected Rhubarb Crumble

Published on April 13, 2021April 13, 2021 by HannaLeave a comment

Anyone else excited about rhubarb right now?! I just love it (you’ll find lots of lovely recipes here) and as it’s still cold out (it snowed earlier in the week!) I thought it best to start this rhubarb season with a warming crumble. It was also the perfect opportunity to improve on the recipe a little; to make it perfect!

All I did was to reduce the sugar a little and substitute some brown sugar for caster sugar to let the rhubarb flavour come through more, and it made such a difference! It was yummy before but now it’s *chef’s kiss*.

My perfected rhubarb crumble, serves 4

ca 250 g rhubarb, washed and cut into smaller pieces

60 g caster sugar (to balance the acidity from the rhubarb)

Crumble:

100 g softened butter

200 g plain flour

65 g soft brown sugar

70 g caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder

Butter an ovenproof dish. Place the rhubarb pieces in the bottom. Scatter the sugar on top. Combine the ingredients for the crumble in a mixing bowl using a wooden fork. Pour on top of the rhubarb. Place in 175C oven for about 30 minutes or until the fruit is soft and the top golden brown. Serve with double cream, custard or ice cream.

Recipe: Rhubarb Pavlova

Published on July 8, 2020 by HannaLeave a comment

When I put this on the table at a dinner party before lockdown (the last dinner with friends in fact) I got so much praise. To me, a pavlova is easy to make, and even more importantly, to make ahead! But I agree it looks impressive and inviting with it’s fluffy white meringue and pillowy whipped cream topped with gleaming pink pieces of just-soft-enough-rhubarb.

That dinner in March seems forever ago now, but thanks to the forced Yorkshire rhubarb, it was rhubarb season both then and now, giving us a link back to that more carefree time.

But as we are now allowed to see friends again, let’s celebrate it with a really good pudding!

Rhubarb Pavlova, serves 6-8

140 g egg whites (4)

220 g caster sugar

8 g / 1 tbsp corn flour

4 g / 1 tsp white wine vinegar

3 dl whipping or double cream

400 g rhubarb

400 g rhubarb, ends trimmed

200 ml water

200 ml caster sugar

Beat the egg whites until foamy and add the sugar bit by bit while beating until stiff peaks. Add corn flour and vinegar and fold it in with a spatula.

Divide the meringue in two, shaping two circles on two parchment clad baking trays.

Bake in the middle of the oven, for 60 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the meringues in the cooling oven with the door open until the oven has cooled down.

Cut the rhubarb into 4 cm long pieces and place in an ovenproof sig with sides. Bring sugar and water to the boil in a saucepan. Pour the syrup over the rhubarb and place in a 100C oven for 30 minutes. Leave to cool completely.

Lightly whip the cream. Place one meringue round on a cake plate. Spread with whipped cream and drizzle with rhubarb syrup. Place the other meringue round on top. Spread with whipped cream and top with rhubarb pieces and syrup. Decorate with a sprig of mint.

Hello March (and hopefully Spring!)

Published on March 2, 2020March 2, 2020 by HannaLeave a comment

March is here. With more light, longer days and spring blossoms galore! I’m so happy spring is finally within reach.

I’m SO looking forward to the first fresh produce of the season, so thought I would share some of my favourite early spring recipes with you. We have blood oranges! Wild garlic! Rhubarb! (The forced one are already here.) And the most divine cheese!

Wild garlic pesto is a must as soon as the little green leaves are sprouting. The season can start as early as February and continue on towards May/June. Definitely one of my favourite seasons!

Fried gnocchi with wild garlic pesto and cherry tomatoes is spring on a plate!

And this orzo pasta with courgette and feta is absolutely delicious! Pairs well with roast chicken or pork fillet. Yum!

Also love these wild garlic fritters!

And these oysters au gratin with Västerbotten cheese and wild garlic are divine! The perfect dinner party starter in spring.

Another delicious starter is this one; portobello mushrooms stuffed with wild garlic and cheese! Old school and so good!

But the simplest wild garlic recipe (perfect for the wild garlic beginners) is wild garlic bread. Basically buttery garlic bread but with wild garlic instead of regular garlic. It will get you hooked on this lovely herb, I promise!

The cheese I mentioned in the beginning of this post is only available for a few months each year and March is the end of the season, so make sure you have one before it’s too late. I love it baked with boiled new potatoes and charcuterie.

Also blood oranges are available for a limited time, so go get some now! It’s a short season but make the most of it as they are so so good! This simple blood orange salad with biscotti is easy to throw together any day of the week.

I also love this blood orange pannacotta – it’s absolutely delicious!

Moving on to rhubarb, this tart with creme patisserie is so lovely!

And this rhubarb meringue pie is amazingly delicious!

But this might be my absolutely favourite when it comes to rhubarb: a puff pastry and custard rhubarb tart! It’s heaven served with some lightly whipped cream!

Bring on Spring!

Recipe: rhubarb custard tarte

Published on April 24, 2019 by Hanna1 Comment

Spring. For me it’s about feeling the sun on my face. Shedding a few layers of clothing and watch all the flowers blossom.

And I get terribly excited about the fresh produce. First the wild garlic, then the asparagus, rhubarb and new potatoes.

At the moment we can enjoy all these things and it makes me rather giddy with happiness! FINALLY winter (although it wasn’t an awful one in London this year) is over!

To celebrate the arrival of Yorkshire rhubarb to the shops a few weeks ago I made a lovely puff pastry tart with pink lovely rhubarb (cooked just enough to still be a little firm) and a glorious custard. Eating this in the sunshine makes me so happy!

Custard rhubarb tarte, serves 6-8

Translated from and adapted after Tidningen Hembakat’s recipe.

1 roll all butter puff pastry

Custard (oven proof):

1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla

300 ml milk

50 g caster sugar

3 egg yolks

50 ml corn starch

25 g butter

Warm milk, sugar and vanilla in a nonstick saucepan. Mix the egg yolks with corn starch in a bowl. Add the warm milk to the egg mixture a little by little. Then return the mixture to the saucepan and warm on medium heat until the mixture has thickened, approx 2 minutes. Whisk continuously. Remove from the heat and stir on the butter. Pour into a bowl, cover with cling (all the way down on the mixture) and leave to cool.

400 g rhubarb, trim the ends

200 ml water

200 ml caster sugar

Assembly:

Roll out the puff pastry and place on a parchment paper lines baking sheet. Cut a thin incision only along the surfaces of the dough, approx 2 cm in from the edge, all around the dough. Prick the dough inside of the “frame” with a fork. Pre-bake the dough for approx 7 minutes (it should bake a bit but not colour) in a 200C oven.

Remove from the oven and spread a thick layer of custard onto the dough inside the “frame” and place the rhubarb pieces on top with a little space in between. Bake for another 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. Leave to cool and dust with icing sugar before cutting into smaller pieces and serving.

Kent: Michelin star luncheon at The Sportsman

Published on October 24, 2018October 24, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

This Michelin star restaurant has been on my to-eat-list (yes, I have one of those…) for quite some time and I was thrilled when my Kent-based friends Helen and Pete suggested we go there for lunch together. We booked it several months before and finally went in May this year (sorry it’s taken me forever to do the write up!).

Quite unlike most other one star places The Sportsman is really relaxed and rustic. You place your order at the bar (while looking at the daily changing menu noted down on the black board next to it) and go sit down.

The food takes a similar approach and is really well prepared out of the best ingredients but with a rustic no-fuss approach. Which people love! Especially chefs, who vote this as their favourite restaurant year after year.

I obviously like the approach too, and from the get-go it’s pure perfection. The three different types of bread are all very good, the olives are of the buttery kind and the butter is just heavenly. A good start.

Pete and Helen are just as excited as I am, although they’ve been here before and Pete and I can’t resist the oysters, which were served two ways and both delicious!

It was only also Pete and I who ordered starters, but we shared them at the table. The terrine with mustard, pickles, grilled sourdough and crispy scratchings was so nice. Everything was just perfectly executed.

My tomato, burrata and pesto may look simple, but it was perfectly put together and had the best pesto I’ve ever tasted.

Helen had the beef and Yorkshire pudding which was pure perfection as well. Just look at that plate.

My pork was incredibly tender and was served with a deliciously fluffy mash and a mustard jus. Just perfect.

Pete had cod, again cooked to perfection, with asparagus and a delicious chorizo sauce. It’s classic food, but still with a few twists.

I was quite full after my pork but would not turn down pudding in a place like this and so ordered the rhubarb soufflé with rhubarb ripple ice cream. It’s was amazingly good. Strong but subtle flavours and the softest soufflé!

Helen’s warm chocolate mousse with with salted caramel and milk sorbet was equally dreamy and although familiar flavours, the fun texture is a great addition.

The whole lunch was really relaxed and cosy, with two well-behaved children, and such a treat! Afterwards we went out into the sunshine and down the beach to look for sea shells and fossils. Such a wonderful day – and lunch!

The Sportsman, Faversham Road, Seasalter, Whitstable, Kent CT5 4BP

Recipe: rhubarb parfait

Published on July 13, 2018July 13, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

The base recipe for this parfait I’ve known since childhood, so full credit for it goes to mamma. It’s delicious on its own, and so much easier to make than ice cream. And it’s infinitely adaptable.

I’ve made it with elderflower before, and when I was at home in Sweden at the end of May mamma and I came up with this rhubarb version together. We wanted to keep the fresh acidity from the rhubarb while still keeping the sweetness of the custard-tasting parfait and I think we managed to do just that. It’s sweet but not too sweet with a hint of acidity for balance and freshness.

Rhubarb parfait, serves 4

3 egg yolks

80 g caster sugar

300 ml whipping or double cream

Rhubarb filling:

300-400 g rhubarb

approx 2 tbsp caster sugar

Rinse and slice the rhubarb. Mix with sugar and place in a pyrex dish. Place in a 180C oven and bake for approx 20 minutes until the rhubarb has softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Leave to cool completely.

Beat egg yolkd and sugar until fluffy in a mixing bowl. Whip the cream in a separate bowl and add to the egg mixture.

Line a bread tin with cling film and place a 1 cm wide line of rhubarb compote in the middle of the tin lenghtways. Mix the rest of the rhubarb with the cream mixture and pour into the bread tin. Cover with cling and put in the freezer for at least 5 hours, but preferably over night. Serve with oat thins, berries, more rhubarb, whipped cream or as is.

London: relaxed dinner at The Ninth

Published on July 11, 2018July 11, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

You have to search far and wide to find a more relaxed Michelin starred restaurant. In London at least. But that’s also what I love about The Ninth; that it (and its staff) seem so relaxed without losing the professional edge. That just sets a perfect ambience for the guests and you feel like it’s just your table there although there are other guests and staff surrounding you.

It probably helps that The Ninth is situated in Charlotte Street; still central and an area for dining out, but without the worst hustle and bustle of Soho (and yet – it’s still within walking distance).

Arriving a little late, and flustered, for our dinner here – due to the sometimes terrible London traffic, it was like stepping into a calm oasis. We were seated at our table, felt like we had all the time in the world to decide on the wine and study the menu and immediately we lowered our shoulders and took the time we needed.

Which wasn’t all that much; the only problem was narrowing down what to eat as we’d happily eaten our way through the entire menu had we been able! Instead we started with a light snack of barbajuan, little parcels filled with spinach, pine nuts and cheese (if I remember correctly). They were very good and the perfect start to our dinner.

Next we had pasta; orecchiette with an egg yolk and PLENTY of black truffle which I love. This was a lovely dish. So simple but perfectly executed.

Our next pasta dish was fried gnocchi with mussels, which was also very nice but slightly overshadowed by the truffle feast. In the background lovely baked root vegetables with Fourme d’Ambert. Delicious!

The piece de resistance here was not the pudding (we were too full to even consider it!) but the main course, a beautiful duck breast cooked to perfection, with rhubarb, rainbow chard and granola. The crispy Belle de Fontenay potatoes and the root vegetables were the perfect accompaniments.

It was such a lovely dinner – and evening. Instead of pudding we had champagne at the nearby Charlotte Street Hotel and then ventured into Soho.

The Ninth, 22 Charlotte St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2NB

Theatre, cinema and a chilled weekend

Published on May 14, 2018May 14, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

Last week was a short work week, as the Monday was a bank holiday, but it felt longer somehow. Why is that always the case after a long weekend!?

As I was tired I stayed in on Tuesday, unpacked the last bits from the weekend and just took it easy.

But on Wednesday I went to the National Theatre (about time after having lived in London for ten years…) to see Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It was very dramatic and very, very good!

Before the play we had dinner at one of the restaurants in the theatre. Very convenient, rather than rushing from place to place and nice food.

Thursday was another quiet evening at home, and I enjoyed every second. Friday I went to the cinema and saw The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It was cute and very British (about half the cast were previously in Downton Abbey) but not amazing, much as I expected.

Saturday and Sunday were very chilled, and as the weather was rubbish I thoroughly enjoyed staying indoors with scented candles, nice food and binge watching Madam Secretary. Sometimes I really crave some down time and that’s exactly what I needed this weekend. Now I feel ready to tackle another busy week!

Recipe: rhubarb meringue pie

Published on April 21, 2017April 21, 2017 by Hanna2 Comments

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We have a good thing going in my family. We all like mayonnaise and bearnaise sauce A LOT so we use a lot of egg yolks. Not wanting to waste food the egg whites go into little containers in the fridge (they keep for weeks!). But conveniently my dad loves everything meringue-y so we get to use up the egg whites quite frequently too.

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The whole little family (there’s only three of us; mother, father and me) loved this rhubarb meringue pie. It still has the tang of a lemon meringue pie but is slightly less heavy as no butter or egg yolk in the rhubarb filling.

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The pie on the pictures had approx 500 g rhubarb in the filling which was fine taste wise but looked a little silly with all that meringue, so in the recipe below I’ve adjusted the recipe to 800 g rhubarb. It cooks down a lot in the oven, so I promise it’s not too much.

Also, when making the meringue, please note that it needs a lot of beating with an electric whisk and that it’s important the syrup boils and reaches (or almost reaches) 118C.

Rhubarb meringue pie, serves 8

Pastry:

180 g plain flour

100 g softened butter

2 1/2 tbsp cream or water

Rhubarb filling:

800 g frozen rhubarb pieces

3 tbsp potato flour (starch)

4-5 tbsp caster sugar

Italian meringue:

4 egg whites

120 g caster sugar

Syrup:

120 g caster sugar

100 ml water

Mix all the ingredients to the dough in a bowl or using a food processor. Press into a Ø 20 cm pie dish. Bake in a low oven using baking beads at 180C, for approx 10-15 minutes or until golden and baked through. Leave to cool.

Place the defrosted rhubarb pieces in an ovenproof dish and scatter with potato flour and sugar. If using fresh rhubarb I would start off by using less potato flour adding more if needed. Place in a 200 C oven for approx 20 minuter. The mixture should be bubbling, almost caramelised and thickened. Leave to cool.

Make the meringue: Add egg whites and sugar to a clean bowl and beat for 10 minutes with an electric whisk. Meanwhile make the syrup by adding water and sugar to a saucepan and bring to the boil (don’t stir). Remove when 118C (the boiling point for sugar). Add the hot syrup to the meringue and beat for a further 15 minutes, until you have a thick and glossy meringue.

Assemble: Add the rhubarb mixture to the pie crust once both are cool. Spread the meringue on top and burn the edges with a brulee torch. Serve with lightly whipped cream.

Vanilla pannacotta with rhubarb

Published on May 16, 2013May 16, 2013 by Hanna1 Comment

As much as I love this time of year when you suddenly have an abundance of fresh spring produce, I get a bit stressed by it too because they all come at the same time. For me, choosing between rhubarb and strawberries or asparagus and broad beans, would be a bit like choosing between your children. I love them all and want to cook as much with them all without forsaking the others. Sadly, that’s impossible.

But when I have time to cook I try and make the most of it, and last Saturday I invited my friend Maria over for a supper consisting of wild garlic soup (I’m obsessed with wild garlic, I admit it), squid and chorizo with beans and spinach followed by this pannacotta with rhubarb.

In Sweden we call the rhubarb prepared this way for melted rhubarb, which indeed it is. The rhubarb releases juice because of the heat which mixes with the sugar and creates the most wonderful rhubarb syrup full of soft rhubarb bits. It is wonderful served warm on vanilla icecream or with just some cold pouring cream, but I must say it was wonderful in this pannacotta too.

Make sure you don’t use an aluminium pan as the oxalic acid in the rhubarb will free the aluminium and you will end up with rhubarb with aluminium which is poisonous.

Vanilla pannacotta, serves 4

500 ml single cream

1 vanilla pod

50 ml caster sugar

2 gelatin leaves

Cover the gelatin leaves with cold water in a bowl. Make a cut lengthways in the vanilla pod (too free the seeds) and add to a saucepan. Add sugar and cream. Bring to the boil and let it simmer for a few minutes while stirring. Remove from heat. Squeeze the excess water out of the gelatin and add to the pan. Stir to dissolve. Divide between four small bowls or glasses. Leave to cool then let them set in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Melted rhubarb (or rhubarb compote)

300 g rhubarb, washed and trimmed

80-120 g caster sugar

1/4 lemon, the juice

Slice the rhubarb coarsely and place in an ovenproof dish (not aluminium, see above). Scatter the sugar on top (start with the smaller amount if you like) and place in 180C oven. Stir after 10 minutes and taste. Add more sugar if needed. Leave in the over for 30-40 minutes more until the syrup has thickened. Add the lemon juice and stir. Leave to cool.

Top the pannacottas with a few spoonfuls of the melted rhubarb and serve.