There’s more to rhubarb than the humble crumble – although that classic pud still has its place. MAXINE GORDON delves into a new book by a North Yorkshire woman recently voted one of the UK’s top 50 food writers

WHEN she was growing up, Elaine Lemm only ever ate rhubarb as a crumble or smothered in Birds’ custard.

Today, the North Yorkshire cookery writer uses rhubarb in a variety of ways – in sweet and savoury dishes – and even makes alcoholic schnapps.

“It is really versatile,” says Elaine, who lives in Boroughbridge. “It’s the workhorse of the kitchen.”

To prove her point, Elaine has written a new book on rhubarb, packed with fascinating facts and appetising recipes.

“It’s actually a vegetable – except in America, where they class it as a fruit,” says Elaine, who writes a popular recipe blog on British food for the New York Times and this year was named one of the UK’s top 50 food writers.

The Great Book of Rhubarb is the follow-up to Elaine’s first volume, The Great Book Of Yorkshire Pudding, which is about to go into a third print run and may even be translated into Chinese.

The slim volume, just shy of 100 pages, traces the arrival of rhubarb from Siberia, charts the phenomenon of the early-season forced rhubarb, centred in West Yorkshire, and celebrates rhubarb’s revival as the ingredient of choice by leading chefs.

“In the past few years we’ve seen rhubarb crop up on restaurant menus and people are a lot more aware of it,” says Elaine.

Among the recipes in the new book are those from some of the top kitchens in the region: Ham Hock and Moss House Rhubarb Terrine from Rudding Park, Harrogate; Pan Fried Mackerel with Sweet and Sour Rhubarb Sauce from Greens at Whitby and Ginger Burnt Cream with Stewed Rhubarb and East Yorkshire Sugar Cakes from the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass Inn at South Dalton.

Andrew Pern, from the Star at Harome, has contributed a recipe for Rhubarb Schnapps while Brian Turner donates his Yorkshire Rhubarb Mess.

Among Elaine’s favourite recipes are a rhubarb and champagne jelly; roasted rhubarb and vanilla crumble and spiced braised pork with rhubarb.

“Because of rhubarb’s highly astringent qualities you can pair it with fatty meats like lamb, pork or duck or with an oily fish like mackerel,” she says.

Rhubarb is also brilliant as a jam or relish, says Elaine. A recipe for each is in the book, which is out now, available in bookshops and online.

Rhubarb is available for much of the year. The forced rhubarb, which is grown in dark sheds over winter and is pinker and sweeter, crops from December to March, while the outdoors variety is available through summer.

The best way to cook rhubarb is in the oven. “It helps to intensify the flavour, keep the colour and shape,” says Elaine. “It is just the best way to prepare it – even if you’re just going to put it in your porridge in the morning.”

•The Great Book of Rhubarb by Elaine Lemm, published by Great Northern Books, £7.99. To order a signed copy phone 01274 735056 or visit greatnorthernbooks.co.uk

Recipes...from The Great Book of Rhubarb

Roasted Rhubarb and Vanilla Crumble Serve with lashings of custard or vanilla ice cream

Serves 4

450g rhubarb
2 tbsp soft, brown sugar
3 tbsp orange juice
½ tsp vanilla extract

For the crumble
115g cold butter
170g all purpose/plain flour
4 tbsp soft brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F/Gas 4. Cut the rhubarb into 3cm pieces. Place the rhubarb into an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the sugar. Mix the vanilla extract with the orange juice and pour over the rhubarb, loosely cover with tinfoil. Bake in the pre-heated oven for approx 20 minutes or until the rhubarb is cooked through but not falling apart.

Place all the crumble ingredients into a large baking bowl and roughly mash together to form lumpy crumbs. Don’t worry about making the mixture even and fine, you are looking for a rustic-looking topping.

Sprinkle the crumble loosely over the cooked rhubarb.

Return the dish to the oven and cook for 30 – 35 minutes until the crumble is golden brown. Serve hot with custard sauce or vanilla ice cream.

You can also cook as individual puddings in ramekin dishes.

Spiced Braised Pork with Rhubarb

Serves 4 as a main course

1.5 kg pork shoulder, on the bone
4 large shallots, peeled
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2in/5cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 red chillies
500ml dry cider
500g rhubarb, trimmed weight
1 tsp ice cold butter, chopped into tiny pieces

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/ Gas 4. Score the skin of the pork with a very sharp knife then put into a large, roomy roasting tray. Put the shallots, garlic, ginger, honey, pepper and olive oil into a food processor and blitz to form a thick paste. Smear the paste all over the pork – skin and meat included.

Snap the chillies to open them slightly and throw into the roasting tray and pour in the cider. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and roast in the preheated oven for two hours.

Take the dish from the oven and increase the temperature to 220°C/Gas7. Remove the foil and baste the pork with the pan juices. Cut the rhubarb into 7cm lengths and scatter into the sauce. Return the tray to the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until well coloured.

Remove the pork from the oven and place to one side to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Strain the pan juices through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Keep the rhubarb to one side.

Place the sauce over a high heat and reduce by one third. Drop a few pieces of the ice-cold butter into the sauce and over a medium heat shake until all the butter has melted, repeat until all the butter is used up and the sauce is shiny and glossy.

Slice the pork (it will not make neat slices but don’t worry, this is a quite rustic dish), place on a serving plate topped with the rhubarb and serve with the sauce. Serve with slow-roasted or fresh seasonal vegetables. The pork is also lovely cold pulled from the bone and made into a salad or a sandwich.

‘Plopping Away’ Rhubarb Chutney

2lbs rhubarb
2lbs sugar
1lb sultanas
1 pint vinegar
1 oz salt
1 oz powdered ginger
1 onion – finely chopped
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp ordinary pepper

Bring all the above to the boil. Reduce heat. Let it plop away till thick and dark brown. Stir now and then. Pour into clean sterilised jars, put lid on and store. Has a long store cupboard life.