RHUBARB WITH STAR ANISE AND ORANGE

Rhubarb is my favourite ‘fruit’, not least because the appearance of the first forced supplies signals the end of winter. The delicate champagne-pink stalks are fantastic, although I’m equally keen on the less colourful but more flavourful outdoor rhubarb that comes into season later. You just need to adapt the way you treat this fruit through the seasons – the rule of thumb being the later in the year, the longer you’ll need to cook it and the sharper it will be, so you may need extra sweetness.

SERVES 4

500g trimmed rhubarb

(about 6 stalks)

2 oranges

4 star anise

40g fresh ginger, sliced

1 sprig of rosemary

2 tbsp honey (or golden caster sugar for a vegan option)

100ml freshly squeezed orange juice

crème fraîche, to serve 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut the rhubarb into 5cm lengths and arrange in a roasting tray. Finely grate the zest from the oranges and add to the tray then cut the fruit into quarters and add these too. Scatter over the star anise, ginger and rosemary. Trickle over the honey (or caster sugar), mix together well and then pour on the orange juice.

2 Put in the oven and cook for 7-15 minutes, depending on the type of rhubarb. To check, squeeze a piece – it should just break under a little pressure.

3 Remove from the oven and pick out the star anise and rosemary stalk.

4 Serve the rhubarb hot, at room temperature or chilled, with crème fraîche – and make sure you eat all of the flesh from the baked oranges.

SWAPS

Try substituting half of the rhubarb with quartered and cored eating apples.