How to get the best out of rhubarb this season

Add an elegant and colourful companion like blood oranges and you will be rewarded with a bit of kitchen magic

Sicilian blood oranges and rhubarb are a magical combination (Julia Leonard )

Seeing the first rhubarb at my greengrocer made me giddy – so giddy that I considered taking out a second mortgage so I could buy some. That was more than a month ago when the only rhubarb to be had was Dutch and cost a king’s ransom. I was so desperate for a taste of spring that I almost succumbed. Almost.

Instead I eyed the allotments near our home and virtually cooked the rhubarb that seems to grow there like weeds. I mentally prepared crumbles and tarts and compotes and pies, biding my time until British rhubarb arrived. And it did in all its glory. I barely avoided pushing aside a child blissfully eating a banana – just – grabbed a handful and headed back to my lair.

I believe that rhubarb – like many things in the kitchen – is best served simply. I don’t like it too sweet (it feels like you’re trying to mask its true nature) and I don’t like it mushy. So I decided to cook it slowly in the oven with a bit of sugar until tender but still retaining its shape. There is something incredibly elegant about a stalk of rhubarb and I think that should be respected.

For a poaching liquid, the choice was easy. I also spied blood oranges – those marvels of the fruit world. There is a wonderful chapter in Helena Atlee’s book, The Land Where Lemons Grow, where she talks about blood oranges. Apparently the pigment comes from anthocyanins, which are also found in super fruits such as blueberries. You need a drop in nighttime temperatures to get that amazing colour and there are only a few places where the growing conditions are ideal – Sicily producing arguably the best in the world.

So a bit of kitchen magic – first season rhubarb with Italian blood oranges.

Don't be tempted to overdo the sugar or cook the rhubarb for too long (Julia Leonard)

Rhubarb and blood orange with vanilla bean Greek yoghurt & toasted almonds

Serves 3-4

Of course you can substitute regular oranges but do keep an eye out for blood oranges. They are something special and give this dish a wonderful sweetness plus an unmatched pinky-red colour.

Preheat oven to 160°C/325°F
1 vanilla pod
500g Greek yoghurt
20g sliced almonds
450-500g rhubarb (about 5-6 stalks)
2 blood oranges
20g demerara sugar

Slice the vanilla pod in half lengthways and using the blade of your knife scrape out the seeds. Place the yoghurt in a bowl, add the vanilla seeds and mix thoroughly. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Toast the almonds in the oven or in a pan on the stove top until lightly browned and nutty smelling. Do watch them closely as it only takes a moment to go from toasted to burnt! Remove and set aside until ready to assemble.

Wash the rhubarb and remove the top and bottom bits then slice the remainder into sticks. If the stalks are long and thin, then cut into pieces that are roughly 7-8cm long. For shorter/squatter stalks make them smaller – about 5-6cm. Place the sliced rhubarb in a baking dish.

Zest one of the blood oranges and set aside. Juice both oranges and add the liquid and about 12g of the sugar to the rhubarb. Reserve the remaining sugar as a garnish.

Place the rhubarb in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Check it periodically. You should be able to insert a knife into the rhubarb but it should retain its shape – you don’t want it going mushy. When done, remove from the oven. Taste the juice and add a bit more sugar if you desire.

Divide the yoghurt into 3 or 4 serving bowls (depending on how hungry you are), top with the rhubarb and garnish with the almonds, blood orange zest and the remainder of the sugar.

The end result (Julia Leonard)