Did you know that the tender, sweet stems of forced rhubarb actually squeak as they grow in the darkness? This is due to the rapid rate at which they grow, sometimes as much as an inch per day. All this squeaking, popping, and creaking makes for sweeter rhubarb, or at least that is what I'm told. Ryan's Rhubarb, a fourth-generation grower in Oldtown, Co Dublin, is the premier league of forced rhubarb growers in Ireland.
Last year we made sorbet, jam, tarts and pies with their rhubarb. We even made rhubarb and meadowsweet vinegar from the trimmings. Rhubarb vinegar is great with roasted white fish, such as monkfish or cod.
To make rhubarb vinegar, take your rhubarb trimmings (not the leaves) and cover with 200ml of white white vinegar. Add 100ml of water and 50g of sugar. At this stage you can add any other flavour you would like present in the vinegar, either seaweed (dillisk), dried wild herb (meadowsweet), fresh herb (dill) or spice (juniper or star anise). Bring to the boil and simmer until the rhubarb is soft. Pour into a suitable container and allow to cool. Leave to macerate for four to five days and then strain. Keep the vinegar in a cool, dark place or in your fridge. Use instead of lemon juice when seasoning fish or to increase the acidity of a dish.
To make rhubarb sorbet
To my mind, rhubarb pairs perfectly well with dillisk, but by all means leave it out and add another flavouring (from vanilla to ginger). For the sorbet, place 500g of chopped rhubarb in a pot with 250ml of water and 125g of sugar. I like to add a teaspoon of carrageenan (dried seaweed) as it acts as a stabiliser. You can use two gelatine leaves if you can’t source any.
To this mix, add two teaspoons of dillisk. Bring to the boil and simmer until the rhubarb is soft. Blend and then strain. Freeze in an ice-cream machine or alternatively place in the freezer and whisk every 30 minutes until the mixture is frozen. Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before serving.
