Rhubarb Purée Food

RHUBARB PURéE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a large shallow baking pan with vegetable oil.
• Arrange rhubarb in 1 layer in pan and sift confectioners sugar evenly over top. Bake, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer rhubarb to a food processor and purée until smooth. Force through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids, and cool completely.

RHUBARB RASPBERRY MERINGUE CAKE

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Let egg whites stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 250° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and draw three 10- by 4 1/2-inch rectangles on parchment (2 on one sheet and 1 on other). Turn parchment over.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with cream of tartar and a pinch salt until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating, and beat until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks.
• Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch fluted tip and pipe evenly onto parchment rectangles, filling them in. (Alternatively, divide meringue among parchment rectangles, spreading with a spatula to fill them in.)
• Bake meringue layers in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching positions halfway through baking, 1 hour, or until crisp and firm. (If weather is humid, cooking time may be longer.) Cool meringue layers completely on baking sheet in turned-off oven or on a rack and carefully peel off parchment. Meringue layers may be made 1 day ahead, wrapped well in plastic wrap or sealed in an airtight container, and stored in a cool, dry place.
• Make rhubarb purée:
• In a heavy saucepan stir together purée ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is softened, about 12 minutes. Cool mixture slightly and in a blender or food processor purée until smooth (use caution when blending hot mixtures). Transfer purée to a bowl and cool. Purée may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring purée to room temperature before proceeding.
• Just before serving, assemble cake:
• Lightly whip heavy cream.
• On a large platter arrange 1 meringue layer and spread evenly with 1/2 cup rhubarb purée. Spread half of whipped cream evenly over purée and top with 3/4 cup raspberries. Repeat procedure with another meringue layer, 1/2 cup purée, remaining whipped cream, and 3/4 cup raspberries. Top with remaining meringue layer.
• Garnish cake with remaining cup raspberries and serve with rhubarb raspberry sauce.

RHUBARB FOOL WITH CONFIT RHUBARB & PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a roasting tin and arrange the rhubarb in a single layer. Scatter over the sugar, cardamom, blood orange zest and juice, and the lemon juice. Cover and roast for 20 mins. Remove from the oven, uncover and leave to cool in its syrup.
• Scoop out and discard the cardamom pods, then use a slotted spoon to transfer half the rhubarb into the bowl of a food processor. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the syrup and blitz to a purée.
• Combine the purée with the condensed milk and a pinch of salt. Stir in the ginger. Whip the cream to medium peaks in a bowl, then carefully fold in the rhubarb mix.
• Spoon the mousse into glasses and chill for a few hrs or overnight until set. Top with the remaining rhubarb, along with its syrup and scatter over the pistachios.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB PARFAITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Arrange rhubarb in 1 layer on a lightly oiled shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan and sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Roast in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until very tender. Cool in pan on a rack.
• Purée rhubarb in a blender, scraping down sides several times, until smooth and transfer to a bowl. Purée strawberries and corn syrup in blender. Force purée through a fine sieve into a bowl and discard seeds. Stir one third of rhubarb purée into strawberry purée.
• Stir together remaining rhubarb purée and ice cream and freeze until firm enough to scoop, 1 to 2 hours.
• Layer strawberry-rhubarb purée and ice-cream mixture in 8 (6-oz) stemmed glasses.
• Serve immediately.