Rhubarb Passionfruit Fool

A fool is an English pudding (dessert for my US friends), consisting mostly of some kind of cooked fruit and whipped cream. A very simple idea. The 2 most common fools are rhubarb and gooseberry.

Rhubarb is incredibly sour and a little bitter, so it needs coaxing along. Also it gets very stringy. It needs to be cooked down with a sweetener of some kind. We have several syrups from Liber and Co. in Austin, so I thought it would be fun to try one of those with the rhubarb. And it was.

Ingredients

2 lbs rhubarb stalks, cut into 1 inch lengths

12 oz Liber passionfruit syrup

pinch of salt

16 oz (US pint) of heavy cream

Finely grated chocolate (any kind) to garnish

Method

Rinse and shake dry the rhubarb and place into a saucepan with a well fitting lid. Some water will stick to the stalks and that is OK. Place the pan over medium heat. Add the syrup, salt and bring the pot to a simmer. Once simmering, lower the heat until the rhubarb is soft to the touch and fully cooked. 

With an immersion blender, blend the mixture until it is completely smooth. Allow to cool completely

Meanwhile, whip the cream to soft peaks. Combine the fruit and cream by gently folding the cream into the fruit. 

Serve in a small bowl with a little grated dark chocolate for contrast.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb doesn't get as much visibility as it should here in Dallas, TX. When buying some yesterday I was asked by the cashier at the supermarket if it was like celery... But I digress.

It is a delicious stalk that needs very little attention - making it a great ingredient for smoothies, and pies - or for just plain snacking. And it is really simple to prepare.

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb Rhubarb, top and tailed, cut into 1" lengths

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar.

Method

Combine the rhubarb and sugar in a non-reactive sauce pan. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until some of the juice has rendered out. Turn the heat down to low, put the lid on the pan and cook gently for about 15-20 minutes - until the rhubarb has softened.

Uses

Smoothie - equal volumes of chilled, prepared rhubarb (see above), Greek yogurt and ice. Blend until smooth. Add some strawberries if you want extra flavors

Pie filling - use the prepared rhubarb as a filling for a double crust pie or a simple crumble (crisp).

Eat out of hand. The sweet/tart taste of rhubarb makes a delicious snack on its own

Make a sauce to accompany pork. Perhaps add a dried plum to the prpared rhubarb, heat gently and puree.