Rhubarb crumble

The age of the rhubarb will affect the quantity you get from 10 sticks. To make a crumble for four people, you will need roughly 400–500g/14–18oz rhubarb. This could be up to 10 stalks of thin, forced rhubarb or just 3–4 stalks of late season rhubarb. The thinner stalks can be cooked in longer pieces as they are so tender and delicate, but It’s best to cut thicker rhubarb into smaller pieces – just 3cm/1¼in – so it cooks evenly and is easy to eat.

You can save time by not precooking the rhubarb at the beginning of this recipe. Simply cut the rhubarb into stubby 3cm/1¼in chunks rather than long ones and toss 2 tbsp of the water, sugar and ginger directly in the ovenproof dish. You’ll need to it rise at least 5cm/2in high in the dish as it will soften and drop as it cooks, so don’t spread too thinly. Try to keep a nice even layer so the crumble sits on top rather than falling through any gaps. Make the crumble mix, sprinkle on top and follow the recipe as above.

You can also soften the rhubarb in a microwave to save time. Spread evenly over a microwaveable plate or shallow dish. Sprinkle with the water, sugar and ginger. Cover and microwave on HIGH (full power) for around 1 minute. Turn and reposition on the plate/dish, cover and microwave for a further 30–60 seconds, or until the rhubarb is just tender. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your microwave.

To elevate your rhubarb crumble, you could add thin matchsticks of stem ginger (from a jar) instead of the ground ginger. Or stir in a handful of berries before topping with the crumble. Porridge oats can be used to replace 50g/2oz of the plain flour and add extra crunch. Stir in a teaspoon of ground mixed spice or ground cinnamon if you like.

Make individual servings of the crumble in ramekin dishes if you like, cook on a baking tray, reducing the time by 10–15 minutes.

You can make the rhubarb filling and topping up to 2 days ahead of serving but don’t assemble the crumble until just before you bake it. Keep both the cooked rhubarb and crumble topping in separate covered dishes in the fridge until you are ready to use them. This will stop the crumble absorbing too much of the liquid from the fruit and becoming soggy.

You can also prepare the crumble topping ahead and freeze for later. Simply follow the recipe then put the uncooked mixture into a freezer-proof container or freezer bag, seal, label and freeze for up to 2 months. Keep as much air as possible out the container. Use the crumble from frozen, sprinkled directly onto your fruit.

Alternatively, prepare the finished dessert ahead and freeze. Make sure you are using a freezer and ovenproof safe dish and follow the steps until the topping has been sprinkled on top. Without baking, cover the dish tightly in kitchen foil, label and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to cook, leave at room temperature for 2 hours then bake as above, adding roughly 10 minutes to the cooking time, or until the filling is piping hot and the crumble topping is golden brown. (If you freeze your crumble in a foil dish, or freezer-to-oven dish, you can cook from frozen without the standing time.)

If your crumble topping gets a little overbrowned in the oven, you can easily scrape off the burnt bits before serving. But its best to avoid altogether by covering the crumble with foil if it’s browning before the filling is ready.

Demerara sugar gives a nice crunch to the crumble topping, but pretty much any type of sugar can be used instead (just avoid dark crumbly sugars as they contain too much moisture and you could end up with a soggy crumble).