Full question
My daughter has landed upon the Rhubarb And Custard Gelato recipe that she wants to do. The preparation for the rhubarb suggests boiling just with caster sugar and vanilla extract. Surely there is a liquid element required too? Any tips appreciated.
Our answer
Nigella's Rhubarb And Custard Gelato (from NIGELLA EXPRESS) cooks pieces of rhubarb with caster (superfine) sugar and vanilla. The compote is then served with vanilla ice cream, which acts as the "custard" (creme anglaise). Rhubarb contains a lot of water and this will tend to be released as the rhubarb cooks, so you do not really need to add any extra liquid otherwise the finished compote will be too runny.
If you are nervous then start the rhubarb over a very low heat and be a little patient. As the rhubarb starts to cook the liquid will be released and you can then turn up the heat a bit. You may also like to look at Nigella's Toasted Marshmallow And Rhubarb Cake. In this recipe the rhubarb is baked gently, so that it still holds its shape. This would also be a good way to prepare a rhubarb compote.
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