Rhubarb Ginger Clafouti

I have an unhealthy jealousy towards Finn and her rhubarb plant.

I adore rhubarb, so much so that I’m willing to shell out quite a bit of cash for it at my local grocer/market. At about $2 a stalk, it’s expensive! I love it, and I’ll buy it, but jeez, no wonder I hold a bit of contempt for Finn and her flourishing rhubarb.

One day, Chelsea. One day you, too, will have a plant that yields more rhubarb than you’ll know what to do with. But until then, suck it up and buy it from the grocer.

A good thing about buying rhubarb is that it rarely disappoints. The deep, red stalks pack the most punch in flavour and aesthetic, but even the lighter green stalks can be baked down into the same, lovely, tart-yet-sweet flavour. And whatever you end up making with rhubarb, it’s bound to turn out delicious.

Rhubarb & Basil Scones.
Brown Butter Rhubarb & Almond Oatmeal Bars.
Strawberry Rhubarb Granita.
Rhubarb Mojitos.
Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Muffins.
Green Salad with Roasted Rhubarb.

Man, we sure love our rhubarb around here!

Have you ever tried a clafouti? What a unusual, oddly intriguing name, don’t you think? The first time I was introduced to a clafouti was as I was flipping through one of my cookbooks. The name made me stop and dig a little deeper.

A clafouti is a French dessert of fruit baked into a flan-like, custardy batter. The name makes it sound quite complicated, but in all reality, it’s a cinch to make. Preparing the batter is as easy as though it were pancake batter!

Usually, berries or cherries are placed in a baking dish, a simple batter is poured over top, and then it is baked until set. The texture resembles that of a custard: silky and smooth enough to eat with a spoon, but firm enough to be sliced into pieces.

Instead of using cherries, I opted for – you guessed it – rhubarb. The clafouti itself is quite sweet, so the tartness of the rhubarb balances it out quite nicely. I also tossed the rhubarb in a bit of ginger marmalade, for a mellow, faint kick of ginger taste. It’s an odd combination, but it really works.

To start, combine the rhubarb and ginger marmalade, then roast in the oven. In this dessert, I prefer my rhubarb to be a little on the tart side so I roasted it for only 8 minutes, but if you really want that sweet rhubarb flavour, roast for about 15 mintues.

While the rhubarb is roasting, whip together a simple batter of eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, salt, and flour. Once the rhubarb comes out of the oven, let it cool to the touch, then pour the batter over top and bake for 35-40 minutse until it is set but still slightly jiggly in the middle.

*Note, it is important to let the rhubarb cool to the touch before you add the batter over top. If the rhubarb is too hot, it will start cooking the eggs in the batter before it even hits the oven!

This clafouti is best served fresh out of the oven, but if you have any leftovers, store in the fridge – it’s marvelous the next morning, served cold!