That’s the way the rhubarb crumbles
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This week’s recipe for ricotta mousse with stewed rhubarb and poppy seed crumble is a variation on a theme.
Back in May 2020 we did something similar with strawberries but, with the start of the forced rhubarb season upon us, it seems only right to utilise rhubarb while it’s available.
Get your friends, family, or TikTok followers round. This dessert is perfect for a dinner party.
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A good friend recommended this one and they were confident I’d instantly enjoy it. They were right. It’s short (only 5 tracks) but sharp, with the artist tackling the chaos and uncertainty of 2020. Its overall message is that things will get better, just keep pushing. A lot of artists feature, including a fave of mine, Loyle Carner.
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I’m a big fan of desserts that are easy to make, easy to serve, and easy to eat. This one is all of those things. It requires barely any skill to do, is a great one to prep ahead of time, and delivers on both flavour and sweet satisfaction.
IMO forced rhubarb is the best type of rhubarb. In this dessert we'll balance it with the sweet, creamy, and vanilla-scented ricotta.
Ricotta appears regularly in Eat My Words recipes (for good reason). It’s versatile and, as cheeses go, actually very healthy.
I first fell in love with it when I discovered fresh cannoli. Since then it’s kept hold of its spot in my top ten list of all-time favourite things.
To give everything a little crunch we’ll make a crumble with oats and poppy seeds. Simple but effective.
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This is your weekly reminder that cannoli are 100% delicious.
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The below serves 4. It takes 25 mins to prep (plus cooling time), then 30 mins to cook.
Crumble:
75g salted butter (diced)
75g plain flour
75g soft brown sugar
75g jumbo porridge oats
10g poppy seed crumble
Stewed rhubarb:
750g forced rhubarb (cut into 2cm pieces)
½ lemon (juice only)
150g caster sugar
Ricotta mousse:
150g whipping cream
250g ricotta cheese
50g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod (or 1 tsp vanilla essence)
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1. Preheat your oven to 170°c (150°c fan/gas mark 3).
2. Add all of your crumble ingredients to a KitchenAid, or similar, and mix until it forms coarse crumbs. Alternatively, use your hands to rub the butter into the dry ingredients.
3. Transfer the crumble mixture to a baking tray lined with parchment. Place the tray in the middle of the oven. After 10 mins, remove from the oven. Redistribute the crumble, so the bits that were on the edge are now towards the centre of the tray, and return to the oven for a further 15 mins. Remove and allow to cool.
4. Mix the chopped rhubarb, sugar, and lemon juice together in a saucepan. Heat over a medium heat for about 10 mins until everything has completely broken down.
Initially the rhubarb will release a lot of liquid but, as it continues to cook, this liquid will evaporate and leave a ‘jammy’ compote. Transfer to a bowl and cool in the fridge.
5. Pour the whipping cream into a bowl and whisk - either by hand or with an electric whisk - until it starts to firm up and form ‘peaks’. It is very important not to over whip the cream to the point that it starts to split. It should be soft and velvety with some structure (see pic).
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6. Place the ricotta into a separate bowl. Add the vanilla (or vanilla essence if using) by splitting the pod and scraping out the seeds. Put in the 50g of sugar. Whisk together until it forms a creamy paste.
7. Take about 1/5 of the whipped cream and mix it into the ricotta with a spatula. This loosens the ricotta mix, making it easier for you to gently add the rest of the whipped cream. Once incorporated, add 1/3 of the remaining whipped cream to the mix. This time, gently fold the cream into the ricotta trying to keep as much air in the cream as possible. Once fully incorporated, add the rest of the cream in two more stages, repeating the gentle folding action each time.
NOTE: ‘folding’ combines ingredients together without stirring, beating, or generally being aggressive with a mixture. You basically turn the ingredients over each other, ideally with a spatula.
8. Transfer your ricotta into a piping bag and place the bag in the fridge to set a little.
The piping bag makes it easier for you to create separate layers of ricotta / crumble / compote in your serving glass. No piping bags? No problem. Keep the ricotta in the bowl and we’ll just use a spoon later.
9. By now your poppy seed crumble from step 3 will be cool. Break it up into smaller pieces to form a fine crumb, then check on your rhubarb compote. Once it’s cool, we can start putting everything together…
10. In a glass or ramekin, first add a layer of crumble. Then, pipe in a layer of ricotta followed by a layer of compote. Repeat these steps until you’ve used everything up. Top with more crumble and dive in.
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Yesterday at 2pm: I’ll save the other half of this dessert for later.
Yesterday at 2.03pm: better finish that other half now.
Speak next week,
Fraser
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Painting a pretty picture?
Tag your dishes with #eatmywordslondon, or hit reply to this email with a photo.
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