Red alert

Commonly used in desserts like pies and tarts, the rhubarb is viewed by many chefs as a fruit, and thus its nickname ‘pie plant’. Taxonomically, the rhubarb is considered a vegetable, a species of the Polygonaceae family of flowering plants. Its stalk, which varies from light red to purple, grows from thick rhizomes or roots whose dried forms are consumed as a laxative in traditional Chinese medicine.

Semantics and medicinal topics aside, the only edible part of the rhubarb for gourmet purposes is the stalk (its leaves are poisonous, containing the toxic oxalic acid). But munching on a raw rhubarb’s stalk isn’t exactly an appetising experience. “The stalk has a very acidic taste, and if you don’t balance it with something sweet, its very tart character can be overwhelming for the palate,” remarks Yew Eng Tong, chef de cuisine of The Cliff restaurant at The Sentosa, A Beaufort Hotel.

The rhubarb’s tart taste, says Yew, works best with fatty or juicy meat, such as foie gras, duck, pork belly and marbled beef. The gelatinous quality of those ingredients tempers the plant’s acidity, creating a tantalising, bittersweet combination. The rhubarb is also high in vitamin C and calcium, and is available fresh and canned, although Yew recommends going for the former to ensure you get the best out of the rhubarb’s tender character (pick a crisp stalk with taut, bright skin that is free of insect damage and disease).

The rhubarb’s tenderness makes cooking it a cinch. Apart from the common method of boiling it in sugary water, the stalk can also be turned into a jam, confiture, or purée, as its texture softens very easily and quickly. For his Foie Gras Espuma, Salted Biscuit and Rhubarb Confiture, Yew takes inspiration from the classic French combination of foie gras and jam, turning the goose liver into a delicate foam and the rhubarb into a piquant, rich jam.

Excerpt from the April 2013 issue of epicure