Rhubarb and custard with ginger biscuit crumb

Serves 6 Desserts and puddings

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Method

Preheat the oven to 120C/100C F/Gas ½. Cut the rhubarb stems into 5cm lengths, then put in a roasting tin with the sugar, lime juice, ginger and 200ml water. Cover with foil to create steam and cook for approx. 15 minutes until soft and tender (there should be no resistance when the tip of a knife or skewer is inserted). Cool and set aside.

Once cool, measure the juice: for every 100ml juice you will need 0.7g agar agar. Hand-blend the agar agar into the cold juice, transfer to a pan and heat up to 90C (or just boiling), then pour into a mould or small tupperware lined with cling film to cool, then put in the fridge to set.

Transfer half the cooked rhubarb with the crystallised ginger to a blender and purée, then pass through a fine sieve. Set the smooth purée and remaining rhubarb aside.

To make the ginger crumb, melt the sugar, butter and syrup together in a pan until combined, then allow to cool.

In a bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together and beat into the cooled syrup, then work in the beaten egg to make a dough. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 160C/ 140C F/Gas 3. Either roll the chilled dough into a cylinder and then cut into discs, or simply roll into small balls of approx. 20-30g each, then squash them flat on to a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove, leaving the oven on, and set the discs aside to cool. If using mousse rings for the custard, reduce the oven temperature to 100C/80C F/Gas 1/4. If using ramekins, keep it at 160C/140C F/Gas 3.

To make the custard, put the double cream and vanilla seeds or extract in a pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until you have a light yellow mixture. When the cream has started to simmer, slowly pour it on to the yolks, whisking all the time. When fully combined, continue to whisk for a minute then set aside.

Prepare the moulds. If using mousse rings, stretch cling film over the bases and place on a clean tea towel on a baking tray. For ramekins, place in a deep baking tray and pour enough warm water into the tray to reach halfway up the outside of the ramekins.

Remove any foam that remains on the top of the custard, using a spoon or ladle, then pour the custard into the moulds. For mousse rings, cook in the oven for 15 minutes. For ramekins, cover the whole tray with tin foil then carefully place the tray in the oven, being careful not to splash the water into the custard, and cook for 25-30 minutes. In both cases, you are looking for a tiny wobble to the custard but no actual movement – aim for 82C if using a cook’s thermometer.

Remove the moulds from the water and/or tray and place on a tray to cool, then put in the fridge to set.

When ready to serve, spread some of the rhubarb and ginger purée on serving plates. Place the set custards on the plates, either in ramekins or unmoulded from their mousse rings, then dust with around 25g caster sugar per serving and glaze with a blow torch.

Allow to cool, then decorate the tops of the custards with pieces of the cooked rhubarb. Cut the jelly into 1cm cubes and arrange on the plates.

Dot more rhubarb purée on to each, then crumble the ginger discs over.

This recipe featured in the Christmas 2022 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.