This is the dessert despised by everyone from Enid Blyton to the late Jane Grigson; but for me, a lifelong fan, this quintessentially frugal British recipe is up there with bread and butter pudding and treacle tart.
Those who love their rhubarb and custard do so for its silky quality and the combination of sweet, cosseting custard and tart, pink fruit. It's a contrast thing. Those who hate it do so mostly because of its ability to curdle. True, it is not pretty when the yellow custard forms tiny globules in the pale pink syrup of the rhubarb.
THE RECIPE
Discard the leaves from 750g rhubarb, cut the stalks into short lengths and put into a shallow baking dish with 2 heaped tbsp of sugar and a couple of spoonfuls of water. Bake in a hot oven for 25 minutes, or until soft and tender. Make the custard by beating 125g caster sugar with 6 egg yolks till light and fluffy. Warm 600ml of milk with a split vanilla pod to boiling point, then pour it on to the egg mixture. Pour back into the rinsed milk pan and stir over a low heat till the custard starts to thicken slightly. Take great care to stir continuously and not to overheat. Serve the rhubarb with lashings of custard.
THE MAGIC
The custard should be slightly sweeter than usual, partly to contrast the sharpness of the fruit, and partly to stop the two curdling. The two parts of this dessert should be brought together at the last moment – the later the two meet, the better they'll get on.
THE TWIST
Spice your rhubarb with star anise, cinnamon or slices of preserved ginger, or roast the stalks with brown sugar and grated orange zest. Make a modern fool by mixing the cold fruit and custard together, then adding half as much again of mascarpone. Leave the custard and fruit to get cold, then stir the one into the other, add an equal amount of softly whipped cream and you have a sumptuous filling for a tart. Best of all, mix the custard with an equal amount of cream, set with a little leaf gelatine, then serve as a side dish with roast rhubarb.
