This, my friends, is a very easy and fast desert that will impress. Not everyone likes stem ginger and so this can be left out without and detrement to the dish. When in a hurry, I use the jars of rhubarb compote available in supermarkets but it is best with freshly made rhubarb. Ready made custard can also be used but again home made creme anglais is best.
Ingredients:
- For the Rhubarb -
- 200ml of white wine
- 2 tbsp of caster sugar
- 1 tbsp of aprocot jam
- 1/2 vanilla pod or equivalent vanilla extract
- 2 stalks of rhubarb - young and tender, trimmed and cut into batons
- For the cream -
- 150ml of custard
- 150ml of double cream, whipped into peaks
- 1/2 vanilla pop or equivalent extract
- Optional - 1 tbsp finely sliced stem ginger
- For serving -
- Half a pack of gingernut biscuits (crumbled)
In a pan put the wine, sugar, jam and vanilla seeds and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and then poach the rhubarb for about 8 minutes until tender. Remove the rhubarb and set aside. Keep the syrup for serving.
Fold the vanilla, cream and custard together until combined. I do not mix too much as it makes the cream less light and I like the contrast between the cream and custard. To serve, place biscuit crumbs in the bottom of the bowl followed by some rhubard and a very small amount of syrup. Then cover with some cream mixture. Repeat the process again and then sprinkle some crumbs on the top. (you don't have to do two layers and sometimes the dish is just as good with a single layer of each of the above) You could add a couple of slivers of stem ginger if you wanted!
I serve in a cone glass bowl so the diner can see the layers.
