Wordless Wednesday - Rhubarb Crumble

Rhubarb Crumble

Mangia!!
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When Sorbet and Ice Cream Collide - Rhubarb Sherbet

Ah Sherbet.  Childhood memories of fun in the sun and sticky fingers as my Orange Sherbet dripped off my cone and rolled languidly down the back of my hand regardless of my I attempts to consume it with great haste.  I loved Sherbet when I was a youngin'.  Even those "Dixie cups" that came with the flat wooden spoons, though I always wondered why they bothered with the vanilla ice cream; as far as I was concerned the whole thing should be orange sherbet.

Then I became a pre-teen, and my sour-puss gene kicked in.... Oh, I still loved sherbet, but Lime became my preference.  mmmmmmm Lime (though I always found the green color to be a little unsettling as it reminded me of Mint Chip and I hate the waxiness of frozen chocolate) Yes, Sherbet and I had a long and passionate relationship throughout my youth. But something happened toward the end of my impressionable teen years.  Sorbet hit the market.  The flavor was so intense, and the texture was so refreshingly icy...  I began my torrid affair with Lemon sorbet and left the Sherbet of my youth behind, deciding that it was for children and I must move on to a more mature frozen treat.

Being older now, and somewhat wiser, as well as a maker of Ice Cream, Gelato, & Sorbetto/Sorbet I have decided that the time has come to give Sherbet a second chance.

So what exactly is Sherbet in relation to all the frozen teats out there?  Well, in Turkey it's a chilled fruit drink known as serbet (which is where the terms Sorbet and Sorbetto come from).  This same fruity libation is also popular in other middle eastern countries and known by many names ie. in Persian it's known as Sharbat (on which the word Sherbet is based)  Incidentally, the correct pronunciation of the word is "shur-BET" not "shur-BERT"; where the extra "r" came from, I have no idea.  I grew up hearing and using that extra "r".  So, I checked in the freezer case of my nearest mega mart and sure enough, all the containers had "Sherbet" printed on them.

Even though Sherbet and Sorbet are rooted in the same drink, as a frozen treat they are slightly different.  At least they are different in the United States.  Unlike the term Sorbet, the use of the word Sherbet is regulated.  So even though "Sorbet" is usually a combination of Juice, Sugar and Water, it can technically be made of just about any thing as it falls into the "Italian Ice" category along with Sorbetto and Granita.  However, by definition, Sherbets MUST contain between 1 - 2% dairy.  This is the key that makes them different from the others.  Ice Cream, on the other hand, has a much higher percentage of dairy as it is based on cream and eggs.  Gelato is based on Milk, and sometimes eggs; thus it's fat content, while lower than ice cream is still higher than Sherbet. Sherbet's niche is in the middle ground, between the two extremes of Sorbet and Ice Cream.

This makes the texture of Sherbet different from Sorbet as well.  Sorbet is much more icy, and while sherbet is icy too, there is still a creamy quality too it, though not as creamy as Ice Cream or Gelato.  That little bit of extra fat in Sherbet changes the freezing temperature of the mixture and helps control the size of the ice crystals.  It has a more intense flavor than Ice Cream as well, because your palate is not overwhelmed with a coating of cold butterfat. Basically, it's the best of both worlds.

Thus, with a heavy heart and forever covered in shame, I regret turning my back on my childhood love.  I shall never take Sherbet for granted again.

In an attempt to make amends, I have decided to make a few alterations to Alton Brown's Orange Sherbet recipe and take it into realms beyond the simple flavors of Orange, Lime, Pineapple and Raspberry.....  Thus, I give you...

Cloved Rhubarb Sherbet

7 oz (1 cup) Granulated Sugar (6 oz if your a sour-puss like me)
24 oz of Rhubarb (Enough to yield 2 cups of juice)
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 TB Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Whole Milk
1/2 cup Half and Half
a VERY small pinch of clove

Cut the rhubarb into small cubes (you need as much surface area as possible) and place in a medium bowl.

Sprinkle the sugar over the rhubarb and toss to coat.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours (this gives it time to juice up)

Once the rhubarb juices up, go ahead and strain it. If you don't have quite 2 cups, (and you probably won't) throw the drained rhubarb in the food processor and pulse a couple of times to break up the fibers in the rhubarb.

Spoon the pulp into a strainer and press out the remaining juice (you should have 2 cups of juice at this point)

Add Kosher Salt, Lemon Juice, and Vanilla extract, whisking to combine.

Add Milk and Half and Half, again, whisking to combine.

Stir in the tiny pinch of clove (careful not to overdo it)

Cover the mix with plastic wrap and chill until cold before pouring into your ice cream maker and churning according to your maker's directions.

Spoon sherbet into a container and move to freezer for 4 hours.

Serve simply, with zest of Orange and enjoy.

Mangia!!
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There's No Fool Like an April Fool... Unless it's a Rhubarb Fool

There is no better time for "foolin" around in the kitchen than April Fools Day.  Especially when one is foolin around with a Rhubarb Fool.  Granted the traditional Fool is made with gooseberries, but they aren't available yet.  Thus, I have turned to my favorite vegetable instead. (Yes, Rhubarb is a vegetable, not a fruit)

Fool, is an extremely simple British dessert of cream and fruit.  It's similar to the French parfait (perfect), though a parfait contains equal amounts of whipped cream and beaten egg whites which are them spooned on top of, or layered with, stewed fruit or chocolate.  That is, unless you ordered a Peanut Buster Parfait from the Dairy Queen, in which you are consuming Chocolate Syrup, Peanuts, Ice Cream and Whipped cream all layered together. (yeah, not really a parfait, but I guess they thought the name was cool)

A Fool, on the other hand, is simply stewed fruit folded loosely into Whipped Cream.  I say "loosely folded" because you don't want everything completely dispersed.  Streaks are encouraged in this case.  In fact, the more streaky, the better.  It lends visual appeal to the dessert.

But enough jabber, lets get to foolin around with the Fool.

Rhubarb Fool

1 pound (454 g) Frozen Rhubarb cut into ~ 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup (75 ml) Orange Blossom Honey
a Pinch or 2 of Cinnamon
Zest and Juice of one Orange, Tangerine or Mineola (tangelo)
1 TB Gran Marnier
1 cup (235 ml) Heavy Cream
4 TB Crème Fraîche or 4 TB of Heavy Cream
2 TB Confectioners' Sugar

So take 1 lb of gloriously red Rhubarb,

Cut into 1 inch pieces a place it in a medium saucepan over medium flame.

Add the Zest of an Orange, Tangerine or Mineola (tangelo) as well as the juice.

Then drizzle the Orange Blossom Honey all over it.

Then sprinkle with just a touch of cinnamon (about 1/16th of a tsp)

Bring to a simmer, then reduce the flame to medium-low.

After about 15 -20 minutes, you should have a nice salmon pink mass of deliciousness with all the chunks completely broken down.

Remove from the flame and pour into a bowl, letting the sauce cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, stir in the Gran Marnier.

Then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

At this point, you may forgo the "fool" and simply pour this "stewed" fruit over your ice cream, but it would be foolish to fool around with a potentially great Fool, so keep going....

In a chilled medium bowl, combine Heavy Cream, Crème Fraîche and Confectioners' Sugar.

Whisk until just past soft peaks form - I call it firm peaks (as opposed to stiff, fully beaten cream)

Remove the rhubarb sauce from the refrigerator and fold it into the cream in 2 additions. (Don't worry about streaks)

Spoon carefully into some fancy tulip glasses or cocktail glasses.

Cover each one with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Serve with a garnish of your choice. (I think mint is over done sometimes, so I use cleaned fern tops)

Mangia!!
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BakeSpace Challenge #14 - April Showers - Spring Greens

I have mentioned the BakeSpace Challenge before. This is not so much a "Contest" as it it a way for us to flex our culinary muscle and expose those untapped fonts of creativity.
You should come join us at BakeSpace and see what the May Challenge will be.
The Challenge for April was to use 4 out of the following 5 spring time ingredients in a single dish.

Artichoke

Leek

Fava Bean

Asparagus

Rhubarb

Spring is here, 'Old Man' Winter has past.

Till April's last day shall this challenge last.

4 of 5 must be chosen and in your pot cast.

Create something incredible for your nightly repast.

I chose the Rhubarb, Fava Beans, Leeks and Asparagus

This made things a little more difficult for me, since I suddenly had to think of Rhubarb in a more savory light. Mainly because I didn't think I could pull off Fava Bean/Rhubarb Pie.

Solution: A simple salad of blanched Leeks, Fava Beans, and Asparagus with blood orange segments dressed with a blood orange rhubarb vinaigrette.

Serves 2
1/2 cup Sliced Leeks
1/2 cup Shelled Fava Beans
1/2 cup Asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Blood Orange (supreme)

Dressing:
Juice of 1 Blood Orange
1/2 cup of Rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 TB Honey
1/2 cup Olive oil
Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Tarragon
White Pepper

Supreme a Blood Orange and set the segments aside (This is when you use your knife to slice off the skin, and cut the segments free.)

Prepare the Favas, Leeks and Asparagus by blanching in salted boiling water for 2 minutes.

Remove from water with a skimmer and plunge into ice water to stop cooking.
Drain and blot dry, then place in a bowl and toss with the blood orange segments.

To make the dressing:
Add Blood orange juice, honey and chopped rhubarb to a blender.

Puree the mixture and strain. (this should leave you with about 3 TB - 1/4 cup of liquid).

Place the blood orange/rhubarb liquid in a bowl and add a pinch of salt.

Whisk while drizzling in the olive oil, until the mixture becomes slightly thickened.
Season with Pepper and Tarragon.

Pour about 1/2 of the dressing over the vegetables and toss.

Serve with Crusty Bread.

It definitely tasted like spring.
The addition of the blood orange brings our the subtle berry flavors of the rhubarb.

Mangia!!
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