1 fruit, 5 recipes: rhubarb

When the first rays of sun arrive, the rhubarb rears its head. Traditionally used in desserts and jams, this vegetable (yes, rhubarb is classified as a vegetable and eaten like a fruit) with bright red stems lends itself to both sweet and savory spring recipes. Stems rich in fiber, vitamins, especially vitamin K, as well as minerals such as calcium and potassium.

Before cooking, note that rhubarb is a toxic plant when consumed raw, due to its concentration of oxalic acid. It is therefore better to cook it before incorporating it into our preparations. Also avoid consuming the green part of the plant, very rarely sold, which is richest in oxalic acid. But if you like it crunchy, you can just blanch the stems in boiling water. But don't worry, rhubarb stems contain between 0.2 g and 0.5 g per 100 g and it is only from 5 g, or 1 kg of rhubarb, that there is reason to to worry. Very little risk of being poisoned.

Enhance rhubarb

The first step to cooking rhubarb is to peel it. Indeed, its skin is sometimes very fibrous, unpleasant to taste and you will need a sharp knife to remove the fibers while being careful not to remove too much flesh, because it is in this part that its valuable taste properties. However, this precaution is not always obligatory. To preserve its particular color and shape, it is better not to peel it. Likewise, if you want to prepare a compote or other long-cooking preparation, there is no need to bother, cooking will dissolve the parts that are too fibrous.

Once the rhubarb is peeled, it’s time to prepare. The possibilities are endless, but a few classic recipes will always be a hit. The rhubarb tart, for example, is a must. Compotes or chutneys too. On the savory side, you can add it to a salad, sweetened with a little maple syrup or honey. Also try incorporating it into a curry or fried rice, enhanced with powerful, well-chosen spices or fresh herbs. To soften its acidity, blanch the rhubarb sections 2 minutes before cooking them. For sweet recipes, you can also marinate the pieces of rhubarb with 2 tbsp. of sugar for several hours. Your rhubarb should come out softer and your preparation more balanced.

Rhubarb Chicken

© Héloïse Brion and Christophe Roué

Surprising in this savory recipe, rhubarb goes perfectly with chicken, enhanced by powerful spices like turmeric, cloves, and cardamom.

Discover our Rhubarb Chicken recipe

Minute rhubarb sorbet with gin

© Akiko Ida

This sorbet, as quick to prepare as it is to eat, will delight lovers of frozen desserts and tangy flavors.

Discover our recipe for Minute Rhubarb Sorbet with Gin

Curry, rhubarb and shrimp

© Akiko Ida

The marriage between the acidity of rhubarb, the richness of spices and the sweetness of coconut milk composes an exotic dish, rich in flavors and contrast.

Discover our recipe for Curry, rhubarb and shrimp