- Serves 4 to 8 - Ready in 1 hour -
*uses up 15 medium/small stalks of rhubarb*
Gather together…
15 medium/small stalks (900g) of early-Spring rhubarb, cut into bite size 3cm-long pieces. (If using frozen rhubarb, defrost first in microwave for 10 to 15 minutes on medium-low and pour away the liquid released, before following the recipe).
200g butter.
1 cup plain flour.
2 cups porridge oats.
2/3 cup (170g) sugar (brown or white) to include in the crumble topping.
1/3 cup (85g) sugar (brown or white) to sweeten the rhubarb.
1/2 tsp bi-carbonate of soda.
Get cooking…
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C (180 C fan) or Gas 6.
2. Microwave the 15 stalks of chopped early-Spring rhubarb for 4 minutes on high, to pre-soften it very slightly. No need to add any water as moisture from the rhubarb will be released when it is heated. Ideally use a pyrex dish, so that you can use it later as the dish you bake the crumble in (to lessen the washing up).
3. Meanwhile, gently melt the 200g of butter in a medium-large pan on the hob.
4. Once the butter has melted, turn off the hob and add to the pan; the 1 cup of plain flour, the 2 cups of oats and the 2/3 cup of sugar and mix. The consistency will be similar to crumbly, unbaked, oaty cookie dough. Set aside.
5. In a large, shallow over-proof dish (ideally the dish you used in the microwave) mix the warmed-up rhubarb with the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and then, secondly, the 1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda (it will fizz!). Stir well.
6. On top of the rhubarb, sprinkle the crumble mixture and spread it out.
7. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
8. Set the oven to 'GRILL' and brown the top under a high heat for ONLY 1 minute. Enjoy!
9. Any uneaten crumble should be cooled and then kept in the fridge, with a lid / beeswax wrap covering the dish for up to three days. This recipe's crumble layer is deliciously thick, but it solidifies into an impenetrable layer in the fridge - so to serve the crumble the next day you'll need to microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds+ to soften the crumble layer (be sure NOT to microwave the beeswax wrap though, if that's what you were using to cover the dish in the fridge). Any re-heated crumble needs eating up whilst still warm, which is common sense food safety practice.