I Tried A Chef's Trick To Prevent Mushy Rhubarb, And I'm Never Stewing It Again

Bakers, home cooks, and fans of tarted-up porridge, rejoice: rhubarb season is finally upon us. 

There’s a reason celebrity chefs like Nigella Lawson, Mary Berry, Jamie Oliver, and Gordon Ramsay are such fans of the tart, vibrant vegetable. As new Great British Bake-Off host Nigella explained, “there is nothing quite like a crumble made with the early, tender stuff”; her predecessor, Mary, simply dubbed it “delicious”. 

But that doesn’t mean it’s failsafe. All too often, I’ve begun stewing the purple stems with glossy purple perfection in mind, only to end up with flavourless browinsh-yellow mush. 

So, I tried a trick both Gordon and Jamie swear by to prevent the sog – and I’m never going back. 

Roasting rhubarb prevents it from going mushy 

Normally, I cook rhubarb on the hob (ideally with some butter, ginger, cornflour, and citrus juice). But this can be a delicate process: as Nigella notes, much longer than five minutes in the pan risks a watery mess. 

Jamie and Gordon have an answer, though. Both roast theirs in the oven – Gordon adds prosecco and strawberries to his, and Jamie bakes his with spices, blood orange, and vanilla. 

Neither chef mentioned the BBC-recommended trick I like for pies, crumbles, and tarts, though. Strain the rhubarb over a large bowl until cooled to both remove the need for cornflour and to save the delicious syrup as a delicious bonus. 

I poured mine all over their almond rhubarb pie, which involves roasting rhubarb with orange juice and sugar in a pan.

And because there was some left after the dessert was finished, I’ve learned it’s a great addition to cocktails too (somehow, the removal of this orange-y, rhubarb-y syrup doesn’t detract from the tangy flavour of the veg in the pie).

The stalks keep their shape much more easily with this method, too.

How to roast the perfect rhubarb 

Set your oven to about 180°C, trim and slice the rhubarb, and add it to a roasting tray with whatever combination of spices and liquid you like. For a stickier, slightly thicker syrup, I like a dessertspoon of sugar for roughly 600g rhubarb.

Prosecco, fresh fruit juice, and (my favourite) crystallised ginger will all infuse the flavour further, though water will do too.

It’s important to cover the top of your roasting tray with tinfoil to prevent both dryness and mushiness. 

Place the rhubarb in the oven for about half an hour. This is the sweet spot; rhubarb keeps its shape but tastes tender.

Once it’s out, you can either place it in a colander over a large bowl (to catch that delicious juice) or leave it as-is to cool. Either way, you won’t regret it.