Rhubarb and Ginger Crème Brûlée Recipe

A unique twist to a traditional dinner party dessert. Strong palate cleansing flavours and rich, yet light, creamy textures are a real delight in this recipe.

As someone who could live without rhubarb and is not a huge fan of custard - this recipe despite all odds surprised me! A beautiful mix of smooth creamy custard, sweet tangy rhubarb and the gorgeous warmth of ginger was a real winner in my household.

Although this recipe may seem difficult, with a little care and patience, this recipe was a doddle for a custard novice like myself! Definitely worth a try!

Ingredients:

For the rhubarb compote layer

400g forced rhubarb, chopped into <3cm pieces
40g caster sugar
4 balls stem ginger in syrup, chopped
2 tsp cornflour

For the custard layer

500ml double cream
150g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split lengthways - * vanilla extract can be used as a substitute, add a few drops instead.
3 large eggs
5 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

In a pan, cook the rhubarb, sugar and ginger over a low heat for 10 minutes or until the rhubarb has softened (and begins to break down). Remove a spoonful of the rhubarb liquid into a small bowl and add cornflour to thicken. Stir until incorporated and then add back into the pan, stir until thickened. Pour the thickened stewed rhubarb mix into the base of either a round roughly 20cm dish, or several individual portion dishes. Leave to cool completely.
For the custard, pour the double cream, sugar and vanilla pod (as well as the scraped-out seeds) into a clean pan and bring to a simmer. Remove the pod and discard. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and gradually pour over the cream, whisking continuously. Transfer the mixture back into the pan. Cook over a low heat, continuously stirring, for around 10 mins until it reaches 86C or has thickened. Gently, pour the custard over the cooled rhubarb, smooth the top of the layer and allow to chill in the fridge overnight.
Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top of the crème brûlée and caramelise using a blowtorch until deep golden brown. Serve immediately.

Additional Notes:

Make the rhubarb compote in advance for crème brûlée all year long! Easily prepare stewed rhubarb for freezing when you harvest a bumper crop.
Fresh rhubarb is best, and forced rhubarb is usually sweeter and softer once cooked. However, rhubarb is rhubarb! Slightly tarter stems can be solved with a bit more sugar…
Avoid green rhubarb stems - this is a personal preference but I do not like rhubarb on the greener side. It is very bitter, stringy and a spoonful of sugar will not help the rhubarb go down! *I do not pick green stems but were gifted them - never again!
I use crystallised ginger instead of stem ginger as I have loads in the cupboard to use up. Chop the crystallised ginger up into small pieces and scrape into a small heat proof container (mug or bowl), add a tablespoon or two of boiling water and allow the ginger to steep and soften - add this to the rhubarb mix instead!
If the stewed rhubarb seems too watery, consider adding another spoonful of cornflour to thicken - do this in a separate bowl as described in the recipe to avoid corn flour lumps.
IMPORTANT: for the cream stage in the custard, remove the cream from the heat for a few minutes while you whisk the eggs. Adding hot cream to eggs can cook the eggs and curdle them - think scrambled eggs! Similarly, allow the custard to cool shortly before pouring over the rhubarb to prevent the layers becoming mixed.
Gently pour the custard over the rhubarb layer to keep the defined layers and maintain the creamy texture of the custard.
Putting the crème brûlée under the grill instead of using a blowtorch does not work! The grill does not get hot enough to caramelise the sugar before it heats up the custard. Blow torch is not necessary for the recipe but it is if you want caramelised sugar on top! *Check Aldi and Lidl (not sponsored) for cheap kitchen blow torches if you are an avid crème brûlée fan - also good for baked alaska.