Recipe

Rhubarb-Cardamom Crumble with Honey Cream

The stubborn acidity of rhubarb tamed by cardamom and the sweetness of honey

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Rhubarb is a delicious paradox: too acidic to be eaten raw, too stringy to be sold without effort, it often ends up in the compost before giving its best. Yet, paired with cardamom — which brings a slightly peppery floral note — and glazed with a tangy wild strawberry coulis, it reveals a surprising aromatic complexity. This crumble with an oat and almond topping is neither too sweet nor too heavy: it's an honest dessert, generous and proud of its imperfections.

Ingredients

servings

rhubarb
sugar
ground cardamom
vanilla pod
orange juice
jalapeño peppers
self-raising flour
purple eggplant
butter
sugar
granny smith apple
whipped cream
honey

Recipe steps

Macerating the rhubarb

Wash and cut the rhubarb stalks into 3 cm pieces. Place them in a baking dish. Sprinkle with the cane sugar, ground cardamom and the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod. Add the orange juice, mix and let macerate for 15 minutes while you prepare the crumble. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Making the crumble topping

In a bowl, mix the spelt flour, oat flakes, muscovado sugar, flaked almonds and fleur de sel. Add the cold butter cut into small cubes. Rub with your fingertips until you get a coarse, crumbly texture — don’t aim for uniformity, it’s the rustic look that makes the crumble.

Assembly and baking

Spread the crumble evenly over the macerated rhubarb. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the rhubarb is bubbling at the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Honey cream

In a bowl, lightly whisk the crème fraîche with the honey to loosen it without whipping it. Serve the crumble still warm, topped with a quenelle of honey cream.

Tips and variations

If your rhubarb is very acidic, let it macerate for 30 minutes rather than 15: the sugar will penetrate the fiber better and naturally balance the acidity without having to increase the amount of sugar.
For a fruitier version, you can add a coulis made with frozen strawberries or raspberries blended into a sauce. Alternatively, a few diced Golden apples can complement the rhubarb nicely to further soften the mix.

Anti-waste tips

Rhubarb leaves are toxic and should not be eaten, but they make excellent natural repellents in the garden: boil the leaves in water and spray the cooled liquid on your plants to keep aphids away.

Surplus rhubarb freezes without blanching: wash, cut into pieces, arrange on a tray in the freezer for 2 hours, then transfer to a bag. You’ll have enough for crumbles all winter long.