A sweet and sour journey from the peel to the root
Rhubarb is harvested until the end of June. The crunchy stalks, which are almost always peeled, are commonly used to make pies and compotes. For most people, this is where their knowledge of rhubarb ends. And it's a real shame, because the peel can also be used to wonderful effect.
We all know rhubarb in its sweet form, and most of us would not think to use the leftover peel. Mischa Käser, chef at Restaurant Italia in Zurich, has other ideas. As I stood chatting with him in the kitchen a while ago, he showed me his dried rhubarb peel. "I didn't want to throw it away, so I played around with it", he says.
After stripping off the peel, he dusts it with icing sugar, mixes it together and leaves it to dry overnight in the oven at 50°C. Once dried, you can simply nibble away at the peel. Mischa Käser dresses his dishes with this edible garnish. He has already served it alongside confit goat heart with a rhubarb jelly and pearl barley salad, for instance. "Of course it is also great for decorating desserts", he says. The peel remains red once dried, looks fantastic and is wonderfully sweet and tart.
If you don't have time for the drying process, I recommend using the peel for the stock at least. Just like asparagus, where the peel also gives the stock an intense flavour, rhubarb peel can be decocted with caramelized sugar and wine, for example – a process familiar to Sebastian Rösch at Restaurant Mesa. While dining at his restaurant recently, I enjoyed a rhubarb and chocolate dessert with rolls of thinly shaved rhubarb that the chef had preserved for a week in one such stock. It was wonderfully intense!
But not all parts of the rhubarb are edible. Take care with the rhubarb leaves
If you're keen to work more with rhubarb, you can use both the peel and stalks for cooking, but watch out for the leaves! They are very high in oxalic acid (more so than the stalks), and during my in-depth "Leaf to root" research I read that the leaves are believed to contain another as yet unidentified substance that could be dangerous to humans.
The unopened rhubarb flowers make a fabulous cooking ingredient. These spherical, often fist-sized buds are harvested while they are still partially covered with a membrane. They used to be cooked quite simply with béchamel sauce, which balanced the acidity from the rhubarb. However, I've also tried deep-frying them in batter, which worked wonderfully as the acidity provides a wonderful contrast to the savoury batter.
Perhaps you have your own garden – or neighbours who don't know what little gems they have growing in their patch. Rhubarb flowers are often cut off and thrown away as very few people appreciate their culinary value.
The acidity provides a wonderful contrast to the savoury batter.
Stories
RELATED TAGS
MyFooby Login
You must log in to your MyFooby account to save recipes. Still no account? Register now!
Log in with Supercard IDNo Supercard ID yet?
The Supercard ID is the unique login for all of Coop’s digital services.
Register for Supercard IDChoose a cookbook
Like this recipe?
ith myFooby, you can not only access your saved recipes on all your devices, but also save interesting stories and helpful cooking instructions and easily refer back to them.
L'article te plait ?
ith myFooby, you can not only access your saved recipes on all your devices, but also save interesting stories and helpful cooking instructions and easily refer back to them.
Do you want to remove this recipe?
Do you want to delete the recipe permanently and remove it from all cookbooks?
Supprimer l'article complètement ?
Do you really want to delete this article from your cookbook?
Successfully saved!
Saving failed!
Please log in!
Log on now – easily and conveniently – to FOOBY with your Supercard ID, save the shopping list on all your devices and benefit from additional advantages.
The recipe has been saved in your shopping list under myFOOBY.
Unfortunately, the shopping list was not saved.
Like this recipe?
Now you can user your Supercard ID to log in to FOOBY easily and conveniently and make use of all the functions and advantages.
Choose a cookbook:
L'article te plait ?
ith myFooby, you can not only access your saved recipes on all your devices, but also save interesting stories and helpful cooking instructions and easily refer back to them.
Supprimer l'article complètement ?
Do you really want to delete this article from your cookbook?
Remove recipe?
Do you really want to remove this recipe from the cookbook?
Delete the entire recipe?
Do you really want to delete this recipe from your cookbook?
Successfully saved!
Like this recipe?
Log in with your Supercard ID to have access to a cookbook with your favourite recipes from all your devices.
L'article te plait ?
ith myFooby, you can not only access your saved recipes on all your devices, but also save interesting stories and helpful cooking instructions and easily refer back to them.
